Just One Step to You
by mLilium
Summary: Three years after OVA. Let's Rock America! Bad Luck tours with ... ASK! Many Lemony and limey trials and tribulations as Shu begins to find himself. Shu x Yuki, Shu x Taki, more later on. Please give Taki a chance ... and read and review!
1. Please

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **? X ? (YAOI - If you no likie, turn back. It's that simple.)

**Rating:** MA+

**Warning: **Lemon and Curse Words

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews!

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Chapter One

"Please ..?"

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**?'s POV**

The air was electrifying, sizzling, burning all around my body. Gods, I've never experienced anything so … so completely mind-numbing. I concentrated on the lean, whipcord body stationed above me. How a smile came to my lips so easily as I locked eyes on my lover.

I nearly jumped out of my skin as I felt his tongue run along my hard member. A soft groan escaped my lips and into the night, into the ears of the one who held me captive. For this man, I would submit myself to utter humiliation. Just to feel him everywhere on me, I'd do it over and over again.

His eyes met mine, his lips just a breath away from crushing mine. I sat up abruptly, wrapping my arms around his well-toned torso. I pulled gently at his hair, thrusting my tongue deeper into his mouth.

He gave a low growl as he pushed me down on the bed. He wasn't usually this feisty, but seeing him in such an assertive position got me harder. Much harder. He gave a little smirk as his hands tightened around my cock. He lowered his lips onto my head and stopped. He looked up at me, all innocent. That image shattered as he swallowed me whole, taking my entire length right down to the base.

I cursed him loudly. I told him that tonight, tonight, I didn't want to come in his mouth. I was ready. I wanted to come in _him_. All he did was give me that little smirk and said, "We'll see." My eyes rolled to the back of my head as his head began to move up and down, speeding up and slowing down, slack-jawed and then tight around my cock.

Through all the haze and thick fog of the rolling pleasure, I was determined not to break down. So I began to compose my next piece in my head, but I found it extremely hard to concentrate when you had your entire member swallowed, sucked, and licked. He knew he was going to bring me to the edge. That bastard.

As he pulled my cock out of his mouth and rocked back a bit, I took my chance to tackle him. Finally, he was splayed underneath me. I smiled triumphantly as I straddled him.

"Now that you have me, pray tell, what is it that you plan to do?"

The haughtiness in his tone of voice infuriated me. Why? Why is he always teasing me? Though he is younger than me, in the bedroom, he always commanded my attention. That's right, I remember now. Because he had me so completely the first time I saw him.

"I'll show you, koibito."

He scoffed at the title of affection but then gasped, rather loudly, as I skipped the flicking and licking of his own hard cock and deep-throated him.

"Shit … since when?"

He grabbed a hold of my hair, keeping me imprisoned between his smooth, taut thighs. I still worked his member with my tongue, massaging the base of his cock with the tip of my tongue. I forced myself up, my eyes watery. He propped himself on his elbows, gazing at me. A slow, tender smile appeared.

"Ne, won't you get the lube tonight?"

I crawled from the edge of the bed to the nightstand. I opened the top drawer and pulled out a tube of lubricant. I turned around and looked at him. All he did was nod.

"To the edge of the bed. On your back," I whispered.

My hands trembled a bit as I squeezed the lubricant onto my palms, slowly rubbing them together. I lubricated my hardened member and then his opening. All the while, this angel smiled at me. It was ethereal.

I poised myself above his opening, somehow afraid that I'd rip this beautiful man in front of me. I certainly didn't want to cause him anymore pain than I already have. He sat up, taking his hands and guiding my member into his opening.

He still gave me that unwavering smile, ever so patient, even as I began to slowly penetrate him. I struggled at first to push my head through his opening. A soft gasp escaped from his lips as I kept pushing slowly, deeper inside of him. I was halfway in when he sat up and placed both of his hands on my face.

"All the way in. One swift motion … Please ..?"

My eyes widened. He fell back onto the bed, arms at either side. With one swift motion, I somehow buried myself in him up to the hilt and clamped my mouth over his as he screamed into me.

Our heartbeats fell into the same, slow rhythm; our chests heaved in time.

"Please ..?"

That was all it took for me to break this moment. I pulled out until I could see the tip of my head and pushed back in. He moaned and wriggled underneath me, his legs wrapped tight around my waist. Faster and faster the rhythm went. That indescribable feeling welled up inside me and overflowed. He moaned and shuddered as he felt his own release.

-----

'_Damn birds! It's too fucking early to be chirping …' _I forced my heavy lids open, only to squeeze them shut against the assault of the sun. Then I opened my eyes again as I felt a sticky sensation … down there. Then it all came back to me, rudely jerking me awake.

"SHIT!" I yelled as I bolt upright in bed.

I looked around frantically, seeing that, once again, it was only me in my bed. _'Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck … Mm, but that was a good fuck … with … w … Shu … i … CHI!' _I felt sick to my stomach. My right hand reached for my mouth as my left hugged my side. What was I thinking? What in fuck's name was I thinking?

Why?

"WHY!"

-----

"NO!"

A dream. It was just a dream! Yet here I am, shaking like some fucking prick. I really hated myself at that moment. I thought that I had moved on from that episode in my life. Was it really that dark that it still buried itself deep in my conscience?

My sheets were twisted around my legs, the other half pooling on the floor. My heart thudded heavily in my chest and loudly in my ears. My hands trembled as I brought them up to my face, touching my lips. Which he kissed. With passion. With lust. Just remembering what exactly he did to me aroused me.

"Damn. I don't need this shit. Why him, of all the fucking people in Tokyo? Why does it have to be _him_?"

-----

**A/N: **Thanks so much for taking the time out to read. Comments and or whatever else you'd like to leave will be highly appreciated. Ja!


	2. What

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Yuki, Shu X ?

**Rating:** G

**Warning: **… None that comes to mind …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews!

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Chapter Two

"W-What?"

-----

"Yuki."

No response.

"Yuuuki."

Shuichi leaned over the still sleeping form of Yuki Eiri, famed novelist in all of the islands of Japan and one hell of a good-looking man to boot. Shuichi _swore_ he saw Yuki's eyebrow twitch. That twitch where he gets irritated but is trying to hold back so that he won't hurt Shuichi's feeling. Which is damn near impossible, if you asked Yuki.

'_Just a little bit more … I give him ten seconds before he starts wailing like a banshee_,' Yuki thought. Yuki should have been used to this daily morning routine. After all, he _had_ put up with Shuichi for the past three years. Yuki tensed for the usual sloppy ear bite, but he cracked his eyes open as he felt Shuichi's warmth leave his side.

Shuichi sighed as he heaved himself off the bed, away from Yuki. It seemed that Shuichi was experiencing more and more of these mind games with Yuki lately. Shuichi grabbed the door knob and found himself pushed up against the wall.

"Yuki!"

Shuichi shivered as he felt Yuki's warm breath on his neck and strong arms around his waist. He was a few inches shy from Yuki's full height. Puberty just happened to kick in only a year ago. Shuichi's face grew lean, losing his roundness that made him so adorable. His eyes lost their childishness and his hair took a turn to the dark side. K ran his band to death and because of the physical exercise they also went through, Shuichi could thank K for his more defined body. Especially his abs. He loved his abs as much as he loved Yuki.

So, what Yuki saw that morning was a slight graduation from his usual huff and puff attitude to someone he loved that had _real_ substance. The man Yuki knew Shuichi was capable of becoming … was he finally here?

Yuki slowly turned Shuichi around.

"Idiot," Yuki said softly as he kissed Shuichi.

Yuki stopped when he didn't feel Shuichi eagerly throwing his entire _soul_ into the kiss. Shuichi had his head down, his eyes unreadable. Yuki had a cross expression on his face. He became more aggravated when he saw Shuichi's fists balled up. Trembling.

"Geez. What is it _now_?" Yuki said, his thoughts of Shuichi finally growing up vanishing into an air of disappointment.

"How … Yuki? How can someone kiss me like that, have my head reeling, for God's sake, and say such a cruel thing at the same time?"

Shuichi jerked his head up abruptly, his eyes burning.

"HOW!"

Yuki grabbed for Shuichi's hand but he was knocked aside. Yuki watched wide-eyed as Shuichi yanked their bedroom door open and stalked down the hallway. His movements were stiff and jerky as he made his way to the foyer, slipping his shoes on. Without a backward glance to the man he devoted his entire life to, Shuichi walked through the door.

For good.

-----

"I swear to God if Yuki did this to you, why, I'll ki--"

Hiro didn't get to finish his sentence as Shuichi laughed out loud.

"No, Hiro, he didn't kick me out again."

"W-What!"

"I kicked myself out," he stated simply.

"Eh? What the hell's going on, Shuichi?"

"Idiot."

"WHAT! I just asked you a simple question! I know you're feeling… I don't know what the hell you're feeling right now! But, that's no reason to call me an idiot!"

"H-hey, now guys, don't fight like this so early in the morning! Tohma might drop by any minute for our meeting!" Sakano gulped as he watched the strangely calm Shuichi and the heated Hiro exchange words.

"I'm answering your question, Hiro. Idiot. I've been the idiot. I've been strung along for the past three years. Why didn't anyone tell me how _stupid_ I looked! Was I always this pathetic?"

Complete and utter silence engulfed the room. This was a new and shocking revelation. Everyone in the studio knew the hardships that Shuichi endured just to be with Yuki. Then to have him say something of that caliber … so simply; everyone stared at Shuichi, not knowing what else to do at the moment. Words were not forthcoming. What _was_ there to say in a situation like this?

"Good morning, everyone," Tohma greeted Bad Luck and Producer, breaking the tension.

"Hmm? Was there something I missed?"

"He's all yours," Shuichi said.

"Come again, Shuichi? What was that?"

"A ha ha ha," Sakano laughed weakly, "It's nothing, Tohma. What was it that you wanted this morning?"

"Oh, yes," Tohma said, eyeing Shuichi carefully, "I have some extremely great news to tell you all."

Tohma turned around and walked out of the studio. Everyone became puzzled at his action and even more so when Tohma returned. With none other than ASK trailing behind him.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY DOING HERE!" Hiro yelled angrily, still a bit wound up.

Instead of his usual arrogance, Taki Aizawa looked away from the band members of Bad Luck. '_Bad Luck indeed_,' he thought silently, '_that I would have my fate twisted with these losers._'

"Now now, settle down. This is the big surprise. I'm signing ASK to NG Records. Due to prior circumstances, their debut album never made it. But in the past three years, these three here have proved to me that they want it bad enough. So, beginning May, Bad Luck will tour North America with ASK as their opening act. I figured since your exposure at Tokyo Bay Music Fes, that the international music market will take you right in."

Tohma smiled at everyone and didn't even flinch when the entire room exploded.

"W-WHAT!"

-----

**A/N: **Thanks so much for taking the time out to read. Comments and or whatever else you'd like to leave will be highly appreciated. Ja!


	3. Meditate

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Taki

**Rating:** T + Some Naughty Words

**Warning: **… None that comes to mind …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews!

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Chapter Three

"Meditate"

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A head bent over the sink as water dripped down his face. His knuckles turned white from gripping the edges of the sink. His legs were spread apart, to keep himself falling from -- what it seemed to him -- a sudden increase in gravity. He splashed more water on his face, inviting himself to calm down.

He _knew_ this meeting was going to take place this morning. He had even spent all morning meditating for this. At 25, Taki Aizawa thought he had everything together. From his life, to his band, to his goals. His self-confidence shattered as soon as he laid eyes on Shuichi Shindou. Something unnamable emanated from his sitting form. Taki couldn't stand it. What he couldn't stand, he wasn't sure of. But at that moment, he couldn't look at Shuichi Shindou.

He couldn't get a shard of the old Taki back to face Shuichi. To face up his actions against Shuichi.

'_God damn Tohma. He knew what he was doing. From his point of view, teaming up with Japan's most popular band would boost ASK's image and sales but … I get the feeling Tohma's still trying to fuck me over. What exactly does he want from me?'_

"Hey, Tachi, you okay?"

Taki slowly released his death grip on the sink's edge and stood up a little straighter. He turned around at Ma-kun's question and cocked his head to the side.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"It's just, uh, Tohma wants Bad Luck and ASK to collaborate on a song. A song for the first concert that'll be held in Tokyo as a farewell for the summer. He requested specifically that both vocalists of the groups work together on the lyrics."

"Great."

"Tachi."

"Hmm?"

"Tohma wants to see you in his office now."

-----

It was warm and quiet in the little piece of paradise Shuichi claimed for himself in the park. He sat at the trunk of a huge tree, yawning as he stretched his arms out and then placing them behind his head. He had taken great care to safely hide his recognizable locks under a baseball cap before he left the NG building. He looked down at his two-day old threads and began to softly laugh.

'_Man. I never knew I had _those_ set of balls. To just walk out on Yuki like that. Hnn.'_

He remembered the shocked expressions on everyone's faces as he calmly told them that he, Shuichi, left the novelist. Impossible, right? Completely and utterly impossible. But he did it. He found a piece of himself the morning he left Yuki. Had he given himself over so completely to Yuki? Did he forfeit his very _life_ to the bastard? What was his reason, other than love, that he gave Yuki the permission to beat him up emotionally?

'_How could I have withstood it all these years! Because I was an idiot. He came from nowhere and just ate my naïve little heart up. I was utterly, completely, enamored of Yuki Eiri. That's why.'_

His eyes were closed behind his favorite pair of Aviator shades he received from K one birthday. He thought back to what Tohma had revealed to them this morning. A tour? Sure, he expected that. They needed to promote their third album. In America? That was totally unexpected. Why such a foreign market that Shuichi had limited contacts with? And more specifically, why with ASK?

He sighed as he remembered the stoic Taki Aizawa that morning. He remembered the casual glance around the studio until those dark eyes fell on him. Was he still that hideous to look at that Taki would just suddenly avert his gaze? In all respect, Shuichi should have been the one to avert the gaze.

But …

That night. It was that night that changed Shuichi. Whether he knew it or not, at that time, Shuichi began to find an inkling of himself through _who_ he wanted to protect and _what_ he wanted to protect. Yuki. Yuki was the one he wanted to protect. So much so that he didn't care about the consequences for himself. _'Who am I kidding? I _still_ want to protect Yuki!' _While Shuichi's thoughts rumbled through his head, a figure hunched on a park bench five yards away watched him.

-----

Looking at him someone might've mistaken him to be sleeping. Even with the hat and the sunglasses on, if given a second look, those unmistakable pouty lips of his and his sweetheart-shaped face belonged to none other than the lead vocalist of Bad Luck.

But to Taki, he saw through the disguise is an instant. He knew Shuichi wasn't taking a light nap in the park. Shuichi's mind was reeling with myriad thoughts. He could tell because Shuichi would chew on his bottom lip every now and then, a soft grunt would sound in his throat, or his chest would suddenly heave. He narrowed his eyes as he thought he heard his name.

Coming from the lips of Shuichi.

His heart began to beat a bit faster and there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. Taki leaned back into the bench, his arms at his side and his legs slightly parted. He rested his head against the back of the bench and gazed at the cloudless sky.

"Damn it!"

Just even imagining Shuichi saying his name got him this flustered. That tour, oh God that tour. Three months? Okay, touring thirty cities in America, Tohma's _really_ trying to kill him. As an opening act? Well, he had to think that they were lucky enough to be with what Japan thought was their best band. Three months … with … Shuichi?

"Damn it!"

Gravity was always pulling him down. Back to reality, back to living with _people_. Just ordinary, incredibly dull and stupid people. If you asked anyone on the street right now who ASK is, most of the time you'd get a blank stare. Ask that question three years ago and the fans would just go wild!

Automatically, Taki felt the scarred tissue that covered most of his lower back. A parting gift from Tohma that he received for his actions. _'That shit hurt like fuck. Fuck, worse than fuck. I just wanted to die. This pain wasn't worth me staying around.'_ People kept telling him over and over again that he was extremely lucky, that he must be God's favorite child, spewing out stupid shit like that everyday he was in the hospital. Every day that he was in the rehabilitation clinic. Every day that he fought the broken part of him that wanted so desperately out.

In his own way, Taki has shown his gratitude and his love for his fellow band mates, Ma-kun and Ken. Without these two, life would've been so bad that not even Hell would've been punishment enough for what he felt. Ma-kun took on the role of being the affectionate stand-in mother, while Ken constantly fed him the confidence he severely lacked now.

He shook his head at how sudden their luck changed. It was only one year ago that he got a call from Tohma Seguchi. He almost yelled into the phone because he thought it was one of ASK's member playing a really bad prank on him. But he remembered how those two were there for him through his hell.

'_You should really thank your friends for this opportunity. If it weren't for their devotion to you, I would have thrown them out myself.'_

Taki couldn't help but feel something in his chest restrict with pain. When he realized what it _really_ was, he began to laugh. It was a choked up, slow laugh, that, with time, built up into a melodious, almost dark yet beautiful tone.

-----

Shuichi opened his eyes as he heard a haunted laugh just yards away from where he was. Shuichi sat up straight as he focused his blurry gaze on a man sitting … no, more like relaxing back, on a park bench. He felt himself drawn by that laughter. He heard all the sorrows and the promises of a better tomorrow in the notes that hung in the air. Shuichi eventually stretched out his stiff limbs and got up. He walked slowly over to the slightly shaking man.

There was something familiar about him … dark sunglasses, a bright yellow baseball cap, midnight tresses flowing from a low ponytail. Shuichi leaned in closer to the stranger, positive he saw him somewhere before.

The laughter suddenly stopped as Taki felt a presence near him. _Very_ near. Way too near for his own comfort. Taki straightened up and looked in wonder at the image before him. It was Shuichi. _Very_ near. Taki immediately crossed his arms in front of him, managing to knock off Shuichi's skewed hat and sunglasses off.

Shuichi stood there, not sure if that move was intentional or if it was an accident. He suddenly found himself leaning forward and pressing Taki closer onto the bench. With both fists tightened around the collar of Taki's jacket, Shuichi proceeded to throttle the lead vocalist of ASK, thus in turn revealing Taki's disguised face.

"YOU IDIOT!" Taki yelled. "What the hell're you doing, leaning over me like some god damned pervert? Why don't you go pester serial murder asshole--"

"Just because I broke up with Yuki doesn't give you the right to still bad mouth him! Shut the hell up, Taki!" Shuichi retorted heatedly.

"YUKI!"

"SHUICHI!"

"TAKI!"

During this entire incident, Taki and Shuichi failed to realize that this was in the middle of an extremely busy rush hour. Filled with desperate housewives and men, school girls being naughty by skipping class, and those out on break. Which to both men at the time, felt like the entire populace of Japan.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"GET THEM!"

"SHU-KUN'S MINE!"

"YUUUUUUUUUKI-SAAAAAAAAN!"

"I WANNA EAT TAKI UP!"

Shuichi tightened his fists around Taki's collar and ripped him from the park bench.

'_Damn! De ja vu all over again! No time to think now! Must run!'_

Taki was shocked by the sudden onslaught of hysterical fans. He looked up at Shuichi as the younger man sprinted out of the park, his sneakers pounding the pavement hard, still somehow managing to hold onto Taki. Taki felt a tug at his hem, realizing that a crazy woman with demonic eyes trying to grab a hold of his own sneakers.

"Pick up the god damned pace, Shuichi! This bitch's trying to take me alive!"

"Shut the hell up! You're heavier than you look, fat ass!"

Nonetheless, Taki noticed an increase in Shuichi's speed. He stared at arms that kept a firm grip on him. Then he stared at his legs and couldn't help but stare at Shuichi's ass. He got a cross look on his face as he realized the last thing that went through his mind. But overall, Taki had to admit that Shuichi filled out nicely. He also noticed that Shuichi wasn't breathing heavily or showing any signs of fatigue. They've been outrunning the rabid mob for a good twenty minutes. Taki was jostled out of his thoughts as he felt the green earth kick him in the ass.

"Wh-what the hell!" Taki sputtered as he collected himself.

Taki looked around and saw that they were underneath a bridge. A river was on his left side, bubbling and swirling on without a care in the world. Shuichi was leaning against the wall of the bridge with his left leg drawn up. He rested his head against the cool of the concrete and his left arm draped over his left leg. His eyes were closed as he breathed slowly.

"How?"

"Hmm?" Shuichi opened one eye and peered over at Taki.

"You've been running for a good twenty minutes with those ballistic idiots chasing us. Yet, I'm more winded than you right now. How?"

Shuichi closed his eye and laughed. The laughter was cut short as he felt himself being yanked forward. He found himself face to face with Taki, who was on his knees, his right hand clutching Shuichi's collar and his left hand against the wall.

Without warning, Taki leaned in and gently kissed Shuichi. Shuichi's eyes were wide with surprise as they parted.

"How?" Taki asked softly.

That one-worded question held _many_ answers.

-----

**A/N: **Thanks so much for taking the time out to read. Comments and reviews or whatever else you'd like to leave will be highly appreciated. Ja! Please?


	4. Reminisce

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Taki

**Rating:** T + Some Naughty Words

**Warning: **…Might have some slightly implied Lime-iness …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews! Special thanks goes to Silverone and Luciver for CC and hope. For ya'll –huggles--

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Chapter Four

"Reminisce"

-----

Suguru stared at his cousin in all honesty. The president of NG Records just nodded and smiled, as was his custom. Shuichi's mouth hung agape, which, to Hiro, resembled that of a floundering and dieing fish fresh out of his environment.

Hiro whistled. That earned him a death glare from the chibi form of Shuichi. All Hiro could do was sigh and shake his head. No matter how great their fame, fortune, or constant fan girls; no matter how much Shuichi has grown as a person and matured beyond anyone's expectations mentally and physically … Shuichi will always be Shuichi.

"Hey. It couldn't be helped. Sorry, Shu, but _I_ am certainly impressed."

"Yes, yes," Tohma smiled patiently, "It has a state-of-the-art studio in the ground floor. You guys will also have a couple of American lyricists here assisting you shortly. So please, don't eat them alive while they're here. Remember, they're here to _help_ you."

"Wow, Tohma. I must say, even for you, this is beyond anything I had imagined before," Suguru said as he eyed the tall ceilings.

There were heavy footsteps and sounds of an argument approaching the members of Bad Luck and Tohma. Shuichi, still in his chibi form, tore his loathing gaze from Tohma's profile to the new onslaught of strangers. Hiro gave Shuichi a sideway glance and sighed. He tried to pry Shuichi from his shoulder, seeing as how he was getting heavy _and_ annoying.

"What we need to do is throw a proper house-warming party, Ken!"

"Somehow, Ma-kun, I don't think Seguchi-san would like that idea."

"We haven't even been here for ten minutes and already you're --"

Taki stopped in mid-sentence as the trio left the last step and came into view of their new house. The ceilings were white and very tall, littered here and there with bamboo fans and mood lights. Ma-kun let out a low whistle at the new "bachelor pad". The entire house had an open-floor plan, which had a huge kitchen and two islands at their disposal, an open dining room that was combined with a fantastic living room.

"I had this house specifically designed after an American house. I have taken the liberty to put this all on one floor, though, so that none of my stars will have any problems falling down a flight of stairs and die of a busted head due to … an excessive indulgence in alcohol, sex and women. In that order," Tohma smiled while directing his gaze at Ma-kun.

"The house has a west and east wing. Each wing is for each group, so I expect no sort of arguments stemming from inane things such as stolen toothbrushes and who used the last roll of toilet paper. I don't have time for that nonsense. Now, I'll leave you guys to sort things out. I'll see you all in the studio Monday morning. Oh, Shuichi and Taki? I expect a rough draft of your combined efforts for the Farewell Tokyo concert on Monday, too. So be a pair of dolls and try not to annihilate each other during the weekend."

With a click of his designer Armani dress shoes, Tohma exited the estate he humbly called home. Or one of his _many_ homes, to be more precise.

The two groups stared at each other in their new living room. Time ticked by and a few sweat beads began to silently make their way down each member's face.

"YOU!"

"YOU!"

Shuichi and Taki eyed each other, huffing after their sudden outburst. The other group's members stared at their respective leaders in defeat.

"Hey, you guys wanna go check out the "wings?" Suguru asked.

"Sure, let's get a jump on claiming those bedrooms," Ken said as they began to shuffle to the "west" wing first.

"I want the bedroom with the mirror on the ceiling, fellas," Ma-kun sing-songed as he _twirled_. The thought of having such a huge mansion laid right at their feet, all theirs until the tour kicks off in May, with only a handful of rules, and no Tohma to really supervise them; it was all just a _too_ perfect set-up for playboy Ma-kun.

"Am I destined to be surrounded by perverts for the rest of my life?" Suguru lamented.

"Drop the innocent act, Suguru. We've caught you red-handed, erhm, white-handed --"

Hiro stopped as soon as Suguru's fist made contact with his head. The look in Suguru's eyes _dared_ Hiro to sputter one more word. Hiro quickly changed the subject by exclaiming about all the weird paintings that looked suspiciously like a certain blond-haired novelist they knew.

All the while, Shuichi and Taki never took their eyes off each other. Taki stood with a gleam of defiance in his stance, one hand in his pocket. He was dressed in a gray suit with a maroon cotton-sateen shirt that was unbuttoned to his chest. Shuichi gave off a low growl as he tightened his fists. Taki smirked as he took in the sight of the younger man.

'_My god, Shuichi really _does_ look like a man now.'_

Strawberry would be the perfect word to compare Shuichi's hair color to. Before, it used to be a very cute shock of pink, like cotton candy. Shuichi now stood at 5'10", a couple of inches taller than Taki's full height. Shuichi was casually dressed in a pair of vintage indigo jeans, a black pinstripe blazer thrown over an emerald green button-up shirt with a few buttons undone.

'_Thank god Shuichi stopped wearing those fucking bright reflectors he called clothing."_

Shuichi suddenly pointed a finger at Taki. His scowl ran deeper as he spoke.

"What the hell are you looking at? Raping me already with that disgusting gaze of yours?"

"Hn. I don't see why you're getting all worked up for. What I did before underneath the bridge would be pretty innocent compared to what that child molester did to you," Taki replied coolly.

"Bastard! Don't dirty Yuki's image like that with your foul mouth!"

"Or else what, little Shu-_chan_?" Taki taunted.

He wanted to see how far he could push Shuichi before he became physical. He enjoyed the waves of disgust and slight hatred emanating from Shuichi.

'_Give me more, Shuichi, you know I damn well deserve it!'_

"Don't talk to me as if you're familiar with me. It makes me sick. You make me sick!"

"Do I?" Taki walked slowly, making his way around the glass coffee table towards Shuichi.

"Hey! Just stay on your side, you ass!" Shuichi stepped backwards, fumbling onto the over-sized loveseat.

Taki finally reached Shuichi's "side" of the living room, leaning over and staring into the most livid eyes of purple.

"Or. Else. What?" Taki emphasized each word as he cupped Shuichi's face, bringing himself closer with each breath.

"Little Shu-chan?"

Shuichi had squeezed his eyes shut at this point, his heart hammering wildly within the confines of his seemingly small chest.

'_This man! How _dare_ he? Who the hell does he think he is! The fucking prick! Fine! I'll give him what he wants! Let's see how he handles it!"_

Shuichi's eyes flew open as his arms snaked around Taki, quickly enveloping him in a tight hug. He yanked a surprised Taki down to his knees between his legs. Taki's hands were still cupping Shuichi's face as he moved with a refined flourish. What Shuichi did next shocked the hell out of Taki. He wasn't expecting it at all. What he was expecting was a fist to the face, or a cheap shot to his groin.

The scent of strawberries enveloped Taki as Shuichi closed those few precious centimeters between them. Shuichi forced Taki's lips apart as his tongue ran along his lips before he plunged it into Taki's mouth. Before Taki could respond properly with an assault of his own, Shuichi shoved Taki off of him and stood up. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, staring down at the still kneeling Taki.

"Wasn't that what you wanted?" Shuichi spat out with venom.

"I … I did but, but not --"

"WHOA! What're you two fucking lovebirds up to? Shit, way to go, Taki, score one for Team ASK!" Ma-kun bellowed as the remaining members followed from behind.

Taki and Shuichi turned beet red and looked away from each other.

"It's not what it seems like, guys, I mean, come on … me and the Pink Energizer Bunny?"

"Actually, Ma-Kun, it'd be score one for Team Bad Luck since Taki _is_ on his knees," Hiro interrupted.

All eyes turned to Hiro, who squirmed underneath the gazes of his housemates. Everyone turned to the other and laughed. Suguru held onto Ma-kun for support as Ma-kun wilted to the floor. Ken tried his hardest to reign in the laughter, but the befuddled face on Taki was just making it difficult. His deep laughter joined that of Suguru and Ma-kun.

"Wh-what, Ken, you too! God damned bastards, the whole lot you! Go get fucking laid!"

With that said, Taki got up as dignified as possible in this situation and walked stiffly to the "east" wing that now belonged to ASK. Taki was mumbling some incoherent phrases as he picked the nearest door to him and slammed it shut behind him.

"But really guys, don't you think that really was score one for us, though?" Hiro asked.

Shuichi straightened his blazer as he made his way to the west wing. Everyone stopped laughing as Shuichi brushed by without so much as a word. Hiro sighed again as he thought back to the scene before him. Of course, Hiro knew of Taki's treachery and would never forgive him. But this was business, and how he felt about Ma-kun and Ken was entirely different. He wanted to chase after Shuichi, but he caught sight of Suguru, who was shaking his head.

"Shit. Did someone die?" Ma-kun asked, breaking the silence. "Let's take the advice of our beloved Tachi and GO GET LAID!"

-----

Taki fell onto the plush bed with a careless flop. He lay on his back as he thought about their second kiss. He couldn't believe it. What happened to the Shuichi he vaguely knew? That was it. He didn't know anything about Shuichi except for his inhuman attachment to that ice-cold dick sculpture named Yuki Eiri.

He brought his fingers to brush his lips lightly. Taki shivered as he felt the ghostly imprints of Shuichi's lips on his. Shuichi. He was the one that initiated it. He couldn't tear his gaze away from the changed man before him. Taki remembered Shuichi's tongue, darting in and out of his mouth.

'_Fuck. I need to take my own advice and get laid myself!'_ To be quite honest, Taki wasn't expecting any sort of play from Shuichi. Why should he have expected _any_ sort of reaction? With what he's done to Shuichi … Why? Why would Shuichi kiss him in such a provocative way, knowing full well the turbulent history they shared? Taki grabbed the nearest pillow and bit into it as he yelled out of frustration and unzipped his pants.

'_Shuichi …'_

-----

Shuichi sneezed as he sat himself down at the console next to his bed.

"Prick. Probably thinking dirty thoughts about me, that asshole," Shuichi mumbled as he pulled out a fresh composition book and pen from the top drawer.

He opened the book and grabbed the pen, which was poised in the air. Shuichi couldn't think of anything to write since his brain was laser-fried into Kingdom Confusion ten minutes ago by some old nasty pervert. He couldn't decide what was worse at the moment; living with an assaulter and rival enemy or actually enjoying the kiss … to an extent, of course.

'_Wait. _Enjoy _the kiss? I just broke up with Yuki a few days ago and I'm consorting with the enemy, no less, already? Damn, if I didn't think I was fucked up then, I really am now!'_

Shuichi lowered his head onto the desk, resting in the crook of his arm. Everything replayed in his mind instantly as he closed his eyes. He was about to drift off but was woken with a brisk knock on his bedroom door.

"What?"

"We're going out for dinner and then to some bar up the street," Hiro's voice was muffled by the door that separated them.

Shuichi stood up, walked to the door and yanked it open.

"Wanna go?" Hiro asked.

"Not interested. I'm tired. Besides, slave-driver Tohma needs those lyrics by Monday. I certainly don't want to be with that molester all weekend, so I'm gonna write the entire song myself."

"Well, if you feel you need to take a break, catch us at the Sky Bar up the street, okay? Don't force yourself, Shuichi. I … I still worry about you," Hiro said, looking down.

"Yeah, sure, maybe," Shuichi said with a reassured smiled as he closed the door.

-----

Shuichi straightened his back and nearly fell out of his chair. How long has he been sitting here, sketching and doodling his way to their Farewell song? He looked at the alarm clock near the bed. It was 1:30 am.

Shuichi grabbed the book of lyrics and made his way down the hallway to the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes as he raided the pantries. Well stocked, indeed, Shuichi thought as he spied an enormous pile of strawberry pocky. The kitchen had every appliance imaginable. Shuichi grinned. Three years with Yuki and he could proudly boast that his meals rival those of Yuki's. He stopped what he was doing and retreated to one of the kitchen's island. He sat down on a stool, placing the book of lyrics absently on the counter.

Yuki.

'_I wonder if he's getting by okay without me. Of course he is. Yuki's a grown man. He's been doing fine by himself before I dropped into his life. So I guess … he's doing fine without me now.'_

Shuichi looked around and found the house _too_ quiet. Were those guys still out? Sheesh, even Shuichi was surprised at Suguru for going with the rest of the guys.

'_Catch us at the Sky Bar … don't force yourself … worry … about you.'_

Hiro's word echoed loudly in Shuichi's head.

'_Fuck this! Yuki's probably hitting on some hot ass chick, or male, right now! Why am I still mourning for what I knew was inevitable one day?'_

Shuichi pushed himself off the stool and walked back to his room. He turned on the bedroom lights and blinked a few times at the brightness. He headed straight for one of his suitcases lying on the floor. He unzipped the nearest suitcase and began rummaging around for a "proper" outfit to wear. To put it simply, Shuichi was feeling slutty.

After fifteen minutes, Shuichi stared at the mirror, completely taken back by his transformation. Sure, he's worn this outfit numerous times for shows and outings, but tonight, it made him feel significantly different. Powerful. Dangerous. Sexy.

'_Fuck you, figuratively, Yuki Eiri.'_

-----

Taki woke up suddenly as he heard a door slam shut. He was beginning to get pissed at all the noise those guys were … wait a minute. He didn't hear the usual horse play of Ma-kun or the reprimanding tone of Ken. He didn't hear that fluff's grating voice whining to his band mates or Suguru's cool tones. Taki sat up and looked at the alarm clock.

2:00 am.

Holy shit! Taki scrambled out of his bed and went to find Ma-kun and Ken. He didn't bother to knock as he barged in. The beds in both rooms looked untouched. He didn't want to run around the house yelling for his housemates just in case one was lurking around. Taki went to the kitchen first and found a composition notebook with "BL" scrawled on the front.

Momentarily, Taki forgot what he was doing or searching for as his fingers traced the initials of Bad Luck written over and over again. Would Shuichi get pissed if he opened the notebook? To hell with it, Taki thought as he flipped to the first page. No surprise here. Doodles were everywhere and the words were scratched out beyond recognition.

Taki scoffed as he encountered three more pages.

'_This guy is unreal. Where the hell does he get his inspira --'_

Taki stopped in mid-sentence as his eyes scanned over a neat copy of lyrics on the fifth page. He recognized the sketch of a pair of eyes that belonged to Yuki Eiri in the bottom right corner. He stared, mesmerized by eyes that held light and dark, love and contempt. He felt the pull of the first lyric and began to read.

'_Since when has loving you_

_Ever qualified_

_Me to be important to you._

_I thought perhaps under the moonlit haze_

_Just something_

_Would have breathed you closer._

_Yes, you are closer_

_Closer to_

_The single cold breath of winter's tale._

_Flowers tremble at your feet_

_Fearing you_

_Such beautiful coldness._

_Perfect in every way but I just can't_

_Break you_

_So goodbye a piece of my heart._

_Thank you_

_Thank you_

_For letting me love you more_

_For letting me Reminisce_

_Without you.'_

Taki was speechless. He gripped the notebook closer to him and a noticed a note stuck up on the fridge.

_Tachi-chan!_

_Housemates are going out to have some munchies and knock back a few at some bar called Sky Bar. It's up the road, hard to miss. Join us if you want. We're doing as you requested and are trying to GET FUCKING LAID! Maybe you should try that too, eh?_

_Haha,_

_Love Ma-kun and Ken-chan_

_PS - This is all Ma-kun's writing, Tachi. - Ken_

Taki gingerly laid the notebook down and looked again at the note. He snatched the note from the fridge and balled it up. It wouldn't do to have the members of Bad Luck smirk at the nickname given to him by his band mates. Instead of going back to his room, Taki found himself in front of Shuichi's door. He wondered if Shuichi was sleeping or if he was already out.

'_One way to find out, Slick,'_ Taki thought as he knocked on the bedroom door.

He placed one ear against the door and listened for any signs of movement. He then grabbed the door knob and gently opened the door. Taki almost fell face first as he saw the hurricane of clothes, shoes and accessories strewn all over the carpet.

'_Well, that answers my question. Guess I'll try and find the guys.'_

-----

Hiro, Ma-kun and Suguru were on their fourth round of Rattle Tails when they heard a commotion at the entry of the bar.

"Oh my god, is that … "

"Is that a guy or a girl?"

"Wow! I don't care … It's so hoooot!"

"Eh?" Hiro turned around and nearly dropped his shot glass.

"Shu-SHUICHI! Over here!" Hiro yelled as loudly as possible through the noise.

"Shindou Shuichi from Bad Luck?" a voice squealed.

"I knew it was him!"

"God, he looks so cool!"

Indeed, there was a different aura that surrounded Shuichi as he stepped into the bar. He felt all eyes on him. It was just like performing. He got a thrill from all the attention and put a light bounce in his step as he headed for the end of the bar where his housemates were.

"Yo," Shuichi smiled as he flashed a dazzling smile at a table behind them.

Thuds were heard as the two of the five girls reeled back in their seats and hit the floor. Ma-kun stared in awe at this devil before him. If Ma-kun wasn't careful, he'd have to share his title of Playboy with Shuichi.

Shuichi came clad in black skin-tight leather pants and a blood-red button-up shirt, which wasn't buttoned at all, by the way. He wore a black form-fitting knee-length jacket with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, exposing the black fingerless leather gloves he wore. He had his shoulder-length hair up in a ponytail with a few unruly and strategically placed wisps of hair framing his sweetheart face. He pushed up his Aviators to rest on his forehead and tucked a loose strand of hair behind his left ear, which sported three piercings.

"Holy shit, you went all out tonight, huh?" Suguru asked Shuichi as he sat in a stool next to him.

"Hnh, this was what I found in the first suitcase I opened up," Shuichi shrugged nonchalantly as he placed his order.

It took the entire bar a good ten minutes idolizing this God that just walked in before they began picking up where they left off. Every now and then, Shuichi shrugged off glances from both men and women. Ken shook his head and openly admired Shuichi. ASK _will_ get far if this was Shuichi's true nature.

Hiro and Ma-kun got Shuichi to take shots with them. As time and alcohol passed on by, Shuichi felt more comfortable around Taki's band mates. He found himself admiring Ma-kun's and Ken's determination to see their leader, even if he was an asshole, happy. Just as Shuichi was about to knock back the fifth shot of something or other -- he couldn't remember -- another hush graced the rowdy crowd. As if he sensed who it was, Shuichi didn't bother looking up.

Taki almost rivaled Shuichi in his entrance. Almost. He was dressed in a crisp white suit with a sapphire blue shirt. Instead of his trademark ponytail, he gathered his midnight black hair into a single braid, which was thrown haphazardly over his front left shoulder.

The air was just full of sexual tension, though most mistook it for a huge jolt of lightening in the air. To be graced with two gods in one night was almost too much to bear.

Taki slowly sauntered his way to where his housemates, and namely Shuichi, were. He stopped at a table sitting behind the group and caught the hand of a gorgeous brunette. He stared into her eyes and brought her hands up to his lips. He gave her a chaste, feather-light kiss and smirked as she keeled over. After a few seconds, her friends were picking her up and placed her head on the table with two of their others friends who were also in the same state.

'_Hnh. Must've had too much to drink. But hey, looks like I've still got it.'_

"Yay! Glad to see everyone here at last! We can now officially drink to our formal union!"

Everyone stared at Suguru, who was hiccupping.

"Geez, I didn't know you were such a lightweight, Suguru," Ma-kun muttered.

"The fuck ever! LET'S GET LAID TONIGHT!"

Every ear in the bar perked up at this.

"Oh, Kami, please let us get through this night without any mishaps," Ken prayed silently.

Of the group, he and Taki were the least inebriated. He was glad Taki showed up last and wasn't going to join the drinking game. Having to escort five drunken guys home, even if the house was five minutes away, wasn't on his list of priorities.

'_Oh, shit …'_ Ken thought, _'how'd he get so many shots in such a short amount of time!'_

"WHOO! 'Nother one for me, Bartender!" Taki yelled as he plunked his sixth shot glass down on the bar.

-----

Taki snuggled underneath the comforter as he felt a warm body next to him shift in his direction. Taki immediately accommodated the squirming figure and rested his chin on a patch of strawberries. Struggling to open his eyes, Taki's blurry vision finally focused on the source of warmth and comfort. Staring back at him, a pair of purple orbs focused on him.

"OH MY --"

Before Shuichi could utter another word, Taki clamped his mouth down on Shuichi's and held on tightly to his body.

-----

**A/N: **Whew! That was one long chapter! I didn't intend for it to be that long, and I had other evil plans for a Yuki appearance, but I didn't have the heart to screw with Shuichi anymore than necessary! Read and please review! Please! With chocolate-covered Shuichi and strawberries on top? Thanks once again to Silverone and Luciver!


	5. Bittersweet

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Yuki, Shu X Taki

**Rating:** M

**Warning: **… Some Lime-y sits and Curse Words …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews! Also, it seems that people aren't responding to this story, so I'm thinking of discontinuing it. Perhaps the world isn't ready to forgive Tachi- chan. T-T Sad news indeed, folks. But, enjoy what may be the last.

-----

Chapter Five

"Bittersweet"

-----

It was warm.

So very warm.

Yuki rarely cuddled in the morning, seeing as how he's not a morning person. An arm rested over Shuichi's stomach. He felt a pair of soft lips graze his ear. Shuichi moaned out loud as he felt Yuki spoon him closer. Shuichi sighed as those lips grazed down from his ear and found the right spot on his neck. Shuichi's stomach fluttered as he felt the hard erection nuzzle him from behind. Shuichi moved his ass from side to side as he felt Yuki's member become more engorged. He softly chuckled when he heard a moan.

But wait …

That wasn't Yuki's moan. This one was a shade darker, filled with complete lust. Granted, Yuki had boatloads of lustful moans, but none with such intensity and need.

Taki snuggled underneath the comforter as he felt a warm body next to him shift in his direction. Taki immediately accommodated the squirming figure and rested his chin on a patch of strawberries. Struggling to open his eyes, Taki's blurry vision finally focused on the source of warmth and comfort. Staring back at him, a pair of purple orbs focused on him.

"OH MY --"

Before Shuichi could utter another word, Taki clamped his mouth down on Shuichi's and held on tightly to his body.

'_Oh, gods …'_

Shuichi moaned against his better judgment. Taki took that as encouragement and deepened the kiss. Taki felt his member throb with pent up desire as he felt Shuichi's ass rub up and down against him.

'_Oh, this is really _real_. It's not a dream, it's not my imagination … '_

Shuichi, meanwhile, responded with what his body needed. In his mind, however, was a different battle of heat. _'Yuki … mornings like these were so rare, but I treasured them nonetheless. There was no special occasion to prompt Yuki to make love to me like this. Taki's doing the same things as Yuki. Rough in need, but always ... Yuki … '_

With that last thought, Shuichi lost it as he began to bite back his tears. He was never good at masking his emotions, so why start now? At first, his shoulders began to tremble with the weight of his emotions, his breath catching in his throat as he felt the hot tears slip down his face. Taki was bewildered by the response of the younger vocalist. He stopped what he was doing when the silent sobs that racked Shuichi reached Taki.

Without a word, Taki heaved himself off of Shuichi and turned away from him, laying on his side. Shuichi wanted warmth, he needed it more than anything right now, but he couldn't face Taki yet. Not like this. He wanted to appear stronger than he felt, and he felt a fool that something this intimate could be ruined by the sheer velocity of forgotten memories and touches that felt like a lifetime ago.

Taki mentally kicked himself for not taking it slower with Shuichi. Those tears … _'How stupid could I _be!_ Shuichi is still hurting from what I did to him. Fuck. Fuck! What other way am I supposed to show you I _care_, Shuichi?'_ Taki wanted to desperately believe that Shuichi had forgiven him, that Shuichi, despite his outward appearance, has endured the worst of the mental anguish he had foolishly released on him. Somehow, he wanted to believe.

Shuichi reined his emotions in as he took in a deep breath. Shuichi was curled up on his side, away from Taki. Wordlessly, Shuichi gathered what shred of dignity left and soundlessly turned to face Taki.

Shuichi's breath caught in his throat as he saw the milky white back of Taki Aizawa. His eyes followed the dull pink scars that began in the middle of his back and ended … the sheet covered Taki's lower hips so that Shuichi couldn't exactly see where they ended.

Taki was jolted out of his thoughts as he felt the feather light imprints of fingers over his scars. He immediately switched to his other side and caught Shuichi's traveling fingers in his hands. Taki sighed in relief.

"What?" Shuichi asked.

"I-it's nothing. Just glad that you, ah, stopped …"

"What, crying?" Shuichi then laughed. "I used to cry all the time … when I was with Yuki. But between those long gray waits, Yuki would let me see a small nugget of a gem, a little piece of him. I used to think that I'd be okay, with those tucked away in my memories. I used to think that the pain was worth it."

Taki could only look at Shuichi. He was speechless. Throughout those three years, this was what Shuichi was holding onto? Memories of a lover that had innumerable facets to his person? Lucky if he ever caught a glimpse of this so called "real" Yuki Eiri? It made Taki sick to his stomach. True, he could be thought of as cocky, arrogant, boastful; but he would never play with his lover's heart as though it were a toy.

"So what happened?"

"This thing on my back?"

"No, your hard on, you ass."

"Ouch. Maybe if you ask a bit nicer, then I'll tell you," Taki replied.

"Fine. How did you get that big ass scar on your back, Droopy Eyes?"

"I guess that's about as close as I'll get to hearing anything _decent_ coming out of your mouth."

"Why, you --"

Taki grabbed Shuichi's pillow from underneath him and smashed Shuichi in the face. He sat with his back against the headboard with his arms crossed. Taki rested his chin on his chest and took a deep breath.

"Tohma."

Shuichi removed the pillow from his mouth and slowly sat up, his shoulder brushing Taki's. Shuichi gave Taki a once over before he asked a question.

"Wh --"

"Tohma Seguchi gave me this scar as a farewell present for touching his precious Yuki Eiri," Taki interrupted. "So it was convenient for him to push me in front of a speeding car as punishment. Got hit, lost a lot of blood, was in the hospital and rehabilitation clinic for a year and a half. My band mates begged and pleaded with Seguchi for another chance, finally got the call last year and here we are. Funny shit, ain't it?"

Even with knowing the dark crevices of Yuki's past, the malicious intent behind Tohma's "present" gave Shuichi the chills. Tohma really is a dangerous individual if provoked. Shuichi kept a mental note not to piss off Tohma about anything regarding Yuki. Shuichi felt himself being shoved off the bed, precariously teetering on the edge.

"Go back to your own bed before the others wake up," Taki said without a second glance, "don't want the others wagging their tongues about nothing."

Shuichi glared at Taki as he gathered his rumpled clothes off the floor. Taki yawned and stretched his arms before covering his body completely with the sheets.

'_What the hell … I wake up to his hard on and now he's kicking me out? I've really lost it,'_ Shuichi thought as he shuffled out of Taki's bedroom and slid into his own cold bed.

-----

"Alright, let's take a quick break, guys!" K said enthusiastically.

Shuichi still gripped the microphone stand, wailing away to his heart's content. Shuichi decided to come to the studio in his casual attire, which consisted of layering two perfect-fit maroon long-sleeved t-shirts, destroyed khaki cargo shorts (with the back pocket torn on the bottom for a nice flash of ass clad in black boxers), and white M-Skiss sneakers. He topped it off with a camo hat he swiped from Ryuichi one summer.

"BANG!" K shouted.

K's bullet flew from the hot mouth of his beloved Magnum and straight into Shuichi's forehead.

"Holy fuck's shit, K, that was unnecessary!" Shuichi yelled as he bolted to the men's restroom to clean up the bloody mess.

"Well, that got him out of the studio," Suguru observed as he took off his earphones.

Ken could only shake his head as Ma-kun gripped his sides from laughing. Another 'BANG' was heard and Ma-kun promptly followed Shuichi into the men's restroom. Taki watched all of this from his corner, taking a sip of the tepid water. Hiro was bobbing his head up and down as he deftly played a few rifts on his guitar, humming softly.

"OK, my pets," K sang in English, "shoo shoo, come back in one hour all refreshed and ready to rock Japan with our concert in the next couple of weeks, yes?"

All the members of Bad Luck and ASK grumbled their consent as they wobbled toward the door. K somehow got stuck managing both Bad Luck and ASK. The second week into rehearsals and ASK knew why Bad Luck had succeeded. Ken still shook his head as he walked out the door of the studio. He turned the corner and saw Ma-kun stick his head from the men's restroom.

"Hey," Ma-kun whispered, "is that crazy American around?"

"No, he said something about an operative mission and excused himself to Seguchi's office. Wanna grab something to eat?"

"I don't think I can hold anything down with this new hole in my stomach, but shit, I'll give it a try."

"Okay."

Ken and Ma-kun left the NG Building and proceeded to the trendier district for a little lunch. Hiro and Suguru went off on their own when they realized Shuichi was probably going to be on the throne for another hour. Suguru's growling stomach echoed throughout the hallways and out of the building.

Taki was still in the studio, somehow missing all of K's bullets as his eyes roved over the score of their joint song. Taki was in charge of the harmonies and the alto parts of the song while Shuichi's voice could still reach a sweet soprano easily. All in all, with the both of them actually cooperating on the song and not battling, the result was satisfying.

The studio door creaked opened as Shuichi stumbled into the studio. A large white band-aid was taped to his forehead, marring Shuichi's face just a bit. He ruffled his bangs over the band-aid and succeeded in covering most of the damage.

"Where'd everyone go?"

"Out."

"Oh."

"So how about it?"

"Um, what about _it_?"

"Lunch, dumb ass, do you wanna grab some lunch?"

"With you asking me like that, no thanks!"

Shuichi's stomach began to grumble loudly. Taki smirked as he watched Shuichi sheepishly rub the back of his head, laughing.

"Ah, ask me again?"

Taki sighed.

"Want to grab some lunch with me, Shuichi?"

"Yeah. Thanks for asking!"

Taki grumbled something incoherent about an idiot rabbit and K's shooting abilities. He followed Shuichi out the studio door, down the hallways, into the lobby and through the glass double doors of NG Records. Shuichi immediately slipped his Aviators on as he watched Taki do the same.

Taki was dressed in dark boot cut jeans, a solid baby blue button-up and his favorite Darley Havidson motorcycle boots. He braided his long midnight tresses and tossed it over his left shoulder. Walking down the street side by side, Shuichi and Taki caused more than a little stir in the women watching their hips sway seductively. They weren't sure if they were lovers, or if they were really good friends.

Shuichi spotted an outdoor café and tugged at Taki's sleeve. Taki glanced over at Shuichi and just shrugged. A petite waitress greeted them at the door.

"Hello, and welcome to Ivy Moon. My name is Kurame. I will be taking care of you gentlemen today. Would you like the patio or the indoors?"

"Patio, please," Taki said before Shuichi could get in a word.

"Right this way," Kurame said as she grabbed two menus and led the men to their seat.

"Water for me, please," Shuichi said as they settled into the wicker seats.

"Same here."

"I'll be right back to take your order."

Shuichi and Taki sat opposite of each other. Neither said a word as they shuffled through the menu.

Kurame came back and took their orders, leaving them be until their food was done. Shuichi sat back in his seat, his legs splayed. This didn't go unnoticed by Taki and the other tables around them.

"You're paying since you asked me out," Shuichi said after a moment.

"Excuse me?" Taki spit the water he was sipping out.

"You heard, Lover," Shuichi grinned and threw an air kiss Taki's way.

Taki felt a looming presence over his shoulder. He craned his neck to look at a towering figure. A mop of blond hair gleamed in the sun light, glasses mirrored Taki's growing horror.

"Mmm, gotcha!" a voice said as a large hand enclosed empty air space.

"I got it! I got it! I, Yuki Eiri, have my hands on Shu-chan's sweet kiss!"

Shuichi fell backwards in his seat at the spectacle. Taki removed himself five tables over as his eyes drunk in the sight of Yuki Eiri.

'_What the fuck! Why the hell is Yuki acting like … like … an idiot!'_

Upon closer observation, both lead vocalists squinted and saw that it wasn't Yuki Eiri, famed romance novelist. It was one of many Yuki Eiri cosplayers. Shuichi was very afraid at that moment to observe his surroundings. He could already feel the bore of many eyes focused on _him_. How could it happen already? They haven't gone through their first appetizer yet and here they were, being stalked by Shuichi's own Yuki Yuki Love Boy Fans. How did they know he was here!

'_Oh shit, we're surrounded! Oh, God, where is K when you need him?'_

"Shu-chan!"

"Shuichi!"

"OH MY GOD! WHERE!"

Shuichi took this time to crawl underneath his table through all the stampeding confusion and spotted Taki hunched under a table ten yards away. Taki spotted Shuichi and motioned for him to crawl to him. To throw off the surging crowd, Taki yelled, "How dare you, Shu-chan, trying to escape through the back door!" Shuichi gritted his teeth and was about to yell when he saw the crowd thin out and swallow the Ivy Moon's back door.

Patrons of Ivy Moon were dumbfounded as they watched two handsome men crawl on their hands and knees toward the front of the restaurant. Once hidden inside by the cool shadows, Taki followed Shuichi's lead. Taki felt incredibly stupid as he mimicked Shuichi's wanna-be spy moves, slithering around corners, stretching out an ear for any mad rampaging crowds. They successfully made their way back to the studio, albeit it took a while since Shuichi led them all over the place.

Both men sighed in relief as the welcoming doors of NG were sighted. They bolted for the doors and zipped through the lobby and up the stairs to their studio.

"If you didn't interrupt in the first place, this wouldn't have happened!" Shuichi huffed.

"But it was nice today, and I thought the patio was perfect!" Taki retorted outside their studio door.

"I was going to suggest eating indoors! You idiot, have you forgotten who you're with!"

"Listen, moron, you didn't have to accept my invitation to lunch!"

Shuichi and Taki grabbed the other's collars and were about to clobber each other when the studio door flew off its hinges, barely missing the pair.

"BANG BANG!" K smiled as he held both Magnums in his hands. "Granted, my two wonderful lead vocalists, you have worked hard. BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH FOR A TWO HOUR LUNCH BREAK!"

Shuichi and Taki still held onto the other's collars as blood trickled from their heads, mouth agape at K's actions.

"But, but -- mmph!" Shuichi's mouth was stuffed with a huge Magnum.

Taki, through his good eye, was turned on by the sight of K's Magnum in Shuichi's mouth. He heard a 'Click' as K leveled the other Magnum at Taki's eyes.

"And you, sir, must learn to take better care of Shuichi if you want to go out with him in public, ne?" K said in a dangerously low voice, his eyes narrowing.

-----

Yuki wasn't as disturbed as he thought he'd be watching copies of himself descend on Shuichi with ninja-like skills. He actually wanted to cross the busy road and demand what the hell Shuichi was doing with Taki, but … He is Yuki Eiri, after all, the real deal, and it wouldn't do to add more fuel to the fire. So he gritted his teeth as he watched the play between Shuichi and Taki.

He would have laughed out loud at the situation if Shuichi was with someone else. But … he couldn't understand.

'_Why with that incompetent selfish ass? Of all the people, Shu, why are you with him? Why are you smiling at him like that? Blowing him a _fucking kiss_ like _that_!'_

Long after the commotion settled down across the street at Ivy Moon, Yuki sat brooding in his chair, his iced coffee begging for his attention.

'_Why him?'_

_-----_

"Ooh, that's really good! Get a little closer together, guys! Shit, don't be scared stiff! Lean over him like that a little more, yeah! Touch each other … mm, right there! I'm such a genius!"

The irritation on Shuichi's face was kept internal, seeing as how if he moved even _one_ fucking hair out of place, he'd have to start all over again.

'_Oh, for the love of God, I'm going to _kill_ K for this!' _Shuichi thought as he felt Taki's bare shoulders against his own.

_/Flashback/_

"_Okay, my sexies, new images and promotional posters are needed for distribution! We have Keichi from GAG Photography to take your sexy new photos for this tour, so … _PLEASE COMPLY OR ELSE!_'_

_/End Flashback/_

Police had taped off part of the gritty subway station for this photo shoot. Screams, clamoring fans and declarations of undying love were kept at a minimal roar as Shuichi and Taki moved through the photographer's instructions. To both of them, it felt slightly more like soft porn. With the get up they were wearing, they might as well claim Soft-Porn Actors on their resume.

Shuichi and Taki both had on skin-tight shiny leather pants that rode low with fingerless gloves and black dominatrix straps zig-zagging across their chest and torso. Keichi, the perverted but famed photographer that launched plenty of sexy models, singers and actors, was practically fighting the bulge in his pants as he directed two of the sexiest male specimens he had total control over.

"Okay, Taki, I want you spread your legs, grab the sides of subway doors … pretend you're pushing them open! Shuichi, have your gorgeous back to us, baby doll. Mm, yes, I want you _plastered_ to Taki-kun, ooh, yes, just melt up against him like that! Now, circle his waist with your left arm, mm-hmm, just like that, and I want you to hook your right hand in Taki-kun's waistband. No! Move your hand more to the left. More … DAMNIT, PUT YOUR HAND OVER HIS CROTCH!"

At this outburst, a steady flow of blood was pouring from the masses. Police officers shouted for reinforcements as the fans became more rabid at the scene. Shuichi should have been disturbed by all the attention, but he glanced down at Taki, who smirked back him.

"Wanna give them something, Shuichi?"

"Sure, why the hell not? Maybe this will shut that Keichi fucker up and we can end this soon."

Shuichi grinned at Taki as his right hand hovered slightly over Taki's crotch. He lightly traced the growing bulge in Taki's pants. Taki let out a little moan as he felt Shuichi's hand rub him up and down gently. Meanwhile, Keichi was still shouting orders at the two and saw a different face on Taki.

"That's right, Shuichi, face the camera this way! Taki, hold your face like that, oh God, I think I'm gonna -- ahem, make love to the camera, men, all of Japan loves you!"

Shuichi's left arm moved lower down Taki's back and grabbed Taki's ass. A soft grunt escaped Taki's mouth. What happened next could be compared to an earthquake as the masses stomped their feet and tried to maul Shuichi and Taki. Keichi moved his position from in front of them to the right side, getting a good profile shot of the two. Shuichi and Taki automatically moved their heads to where Keichi stood, snapping photos like mad.

Shuichi, without warning, locked lips with Taki. Both men were still focused on Keichi, but that kiss sent electric bolts everywhere in the subway station. Despite the blood all over the camera, Keichi kept taking photographs. There were visible tears in his eyes which were coursing down his face.

"This, gentlemen, is my best work ever," Keichi cried as he flung himself onto the two lip-locked males.

"Pack it up, we can't hold them anymore!" a Lt. Amuro yelled at the crew accompanying the photo shoot.

There was a mad flurry as Keichi's men and NG's men grabbed all the equipment and narrowly missed the groping hands of the fans. They ran as fast as they could with all that bulk underneath their arms into the train. Shuichi and Taki untangled themselves from Keichi's grasp and stood up. They stood at the window of the train, facing the crowd that had now broken through the police tape. They smiled and waved at their fans, blowing them kisses and singing at the top of their lungs.

More screams could be heard as the train lurched forward. Shuichi momentarily forgot to breathe as he saw an all too familiar figure lean up against the concrete wall, a cigarette hanging loosely between a pair of lips. Shades were lifted to reveal the iridescent glow of amber eyes.

'_Yuki.'_

Shuichi was jarred out of his gaze as he felt himself collide with Taki as the train eased into the second and final lurch. He held on tight on Taki's waist as Taki grabbed the strap overhead and caught Shuichi with his left arm. Shuichi glanced up at Taki and saw something swirl within the confines of his dark orbs.

-----

"I thought that perhaps you were out of ideas since usually, in a month, you're working on the third or fourth chapter of your latest novel," Yuki's editor said.

"But why that particular scene?"

"Inspiration. New material."

"You know damn well the situation. That was pretty low of you. I can't figure out your motive yet. When I do, expect to hear from me," Yuki said calmly as he took a long drag of his cigarette.

He got up from his seat and didn't stop when his editor protested. Yuki shook his head. No matter what, he couldn't get that scene out of his head. Shuichi … and Taki. It was burned forever under his eyelids. Just the mere thought of it last week set his blood boiling. This week, though, he just felt an empty void. Why? He didn't kick Shuichi out this time. He left of his own volition. That fact disturbed him more than anything.

He reached the parking grounds without realizing it. He walked over to his car and got in. Yuki slammed his car door shut and revved his engine.

"Time for a visit, Shuichi."

-----

"Oh, how morbid!"

"Wow!"

"You guys are kidding, right? I mean, we can't use _this_! I'll be tarnished forever …"

"Hot damn, Tachi, next time, let _me_ be in the lead with Shuichi!"

"That's our Shuichi. Using sex to sell."

"What the hell! I'm not the only one on the poster looking like some twisted mangled slut from a cheap leather factory whore production!"

Shuichi pointed to the bottom right of the poster, where Hiro was squatting with his guitar in between his legs, his red hair falling over his eyes as he glanced seductively at the viewer.

"You were practically wearing nothing but that guitar to cover your dick, you ass!"

"Moron, I had on a pair of leather shorts. And I had thigh-high boots to make up for the lack of other clothing, see?"

Hiro pointed to his slutty boots and smirked at Shuichi.

"Whatever gets me laid, Shu-man," Hiro said with a wink.

"Hell yeah!" Ma-kun said, giving a high-five to Hiro.

Ken and Suguru just shook their head. They chose more subtle clothes to wear to the shoot. Lucky for them that they got to choose their outfits. As soon as Bad Luck and ASK met with Keichi from GAG, Keichi dragged Shuichi and Taki off to personally choose outfits for them.

The teasing and arguing in the studio was interrupted as the door opened. Tohma Seguchi smile's grew wider as he saw the extra large print of their promotional poster.

"Ah, the infamous works of Keichi, am I right, K-san?"

"Yes, sir!" K said with a smile.

"You always know what's best. It's a shame you left Ryuichi," Tohma said.

"New blood to fuck with, my dear President!" K laughed out loud as the members of Bad Luck and ASK sweat dropped.

"Let's all go out tonight to celebrate your upcoming performance. One week before the show and tickets are already sold out. Congratulations, you all deserve it."

-----

"Hic."

It escaped Shuichi by accident. Another one followed as Shuichi put the wine glass to his lips. Taki was sitting on his right side and Hiro on his left. It's safe to presume that everyone was in good spirits that night, but Shuichi took the cake. Taki had tried, unsuccessfully, to pry the wine glass from Shuichi's hand. He glared across the round table at the seed of Shuichi's demise.

Yuki Eiri threw Taki's glance right back in his face. Tohma sat to Yuki's left and Ken to his right. Tohma was being uncharacteristically like a Shacho and more like a fan girl … or boy, in this case. His cheeks were tinged a rosy pink from the four wine glasses consumed. Yuki shook his head violently as Tohma tried to get him to sip from his wine glass.

Shuichi averted his gaze as he felt Yuki's eyes on him. Instead, he looked at the ex-Nittle Grasper keyboardist trying to feel Yuki up underneath the table. Yuki would glance at Tohma every now and then with an aloof smile. He even smoothed away a few strands of his hair from his face before gently shoving Tohma back to his seat.

Everyone was trying their best to ignore the heavy-set tension that descended upon the table since Yuki's arrival. Ma-kun and Ken were having a great time, making repeated returns to the elegant buffet. Suguru ended up sitting next to Tohma and tried his best to keep his composure and wits about him. Tohma's giggle escaped and wafted into the ear of Suguru. Suguru jumped up and nearly knocked over his glass of water.

Shuichi couldn't take it anymore. Besides, he had to relieve himself of his sixth glass of Dim Pervision. One thing he appreciated was Tohma's excellent taste in vintage wines. But then again, Tohma could easily afford the $500 bottle beverage. _'Which I'm about to let out into the toilet and down down down it goes … oooh, swirley!'_ Shuichi thought as he shot upright from the table.

"Hi--excuse me, fine sirs and ladies, the restroom is calling to me," Shuichi said as he grabbed the nearest person walking by.

"Hey, you bas--"

"Eh?"

"Oh my God … it's Shuichi Shindou … I'm such a huge fan! You can grab my ass anytime!"

"Hic … I'm sorry, lady, I just wanna go to the men's restroom," Shuichi replied, grabbing a hold of her lovely lumps a bit tighter.

Yuki pulled Tohma off of him as he stood up. He walked up to Shuichi and the pretty brunette and placed a hand on Shuichi's shoulder.

"It's alright, gorgeous, I'll take him from here," Yuki said smoothly.

He batted his eyelashes at the brunette, who practically swooned at the physical presence of two gorgeous men. They were both clad in black, sharp suits. Throughout the course of the night, Shuichi unbuttoned his red shirt to expose his perfectly toned abs. His tie was still around his neck, albeit loosely hung. Yuki showed up in light pink that was unbuttoned to his chest and the softest hue of a blue tie.

Taki was tempted to get up and go after Shuichi, but with a discouraging nod from Hiro, he resisted. Taki didn't have much of an appetite tonight. Not since Yuki Eiri casually strolled into the restaurant like he owned it. As if he owned every single person in there. For some reason, it just ticked Taki off. He knew the truth about Yuki Eiri, yet he couldn't do anything about it. Having these people here in front of him was _very_ awkward. But that feeling didn't compare to the tension in the air between Yuki and Shuichi. Taki just couldn't tell if it was a good or bad vibe. Either way, he didn't like it.

Shuichi was roughly shoved against the stall furthest from the door. Yuki pressed his lean, tall frame against Shuichi, grinding his hips against the younger man. Yuki began to undo Shuichi's black belt and unzipped his pants. Yuki snickered at the strawberry boxers. Yuki began to kiss and lick Shuichi's neck, working his way down slowly.

He bit lightly at Shuichi's collar bones, soliciting a moan from him. Shuichi began to move his legs but they were ruthlessly pinned by Yuki's own legs. Shuichi whimpered as Yuki's tongue flicked over his hard nipples. Yuki reached down into Shuichi's boxer and fondled his growing hard on.

"I've missed you, Shuichi," Yuki said as he moved his trail of wet kisses past Shuichi's navel.

"Yu-Yuki, please … no … don't," Shuichi gasped as his hands dug further into Yuki's hair.

Shuichi panted harder as he felt the flick of Yuki's tongue on his throbbing member. Yuki gently pulled his manhood free of the restricting boxers. The cool air hit him and he suddenly pulled away from Yuki's grasp. He realized it was too late as Yuki bent down and swallowed him. Shuichi gave up struggling physically. Tears began to trickle slowly down his face. The first drop hit Yuki on his nose. He released Shuichi and sat him on the toilet.

"What do you want from me, Yuki?" Shuichi sobbed into Yuki's jacket.

"Just tell me if there's anything going on between you and Aizawa," Yuki replied evenly.

"Why the fuck would you care? Why the fuck would you start _now_? Did it take you three years to realize what you had? I'm tired of being the convenient _fuck_ for you, Yuki. I'm so tired."

"Just come back to me, Shuichi. That's all I'm asking."

With that, Yuki kissed Shuichi with all the unsaid emotions that were accumulating in the past month.

-----

**A/N:** Sorry for any delays. Yes, it's another long chapter. Can't seem to shut up. As stated at the beginning, this may be the last chapter. Thanks so much for your support and comments (from all three reviewers P). It's been a thrill writing this and I'm curious myself as to where the story will lead . I just feel that people aren't really responding to this … Oh well, I just may finish it just for me.


	6. Punished

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Taki

**Rating:** T

**Warning: **… Some Curse Words and Some Such Nonsense …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews! And so much thanks goes out to those who support our poor Shu x Taki ...

-----

Chapter Six

"Punished"

-----

"Hey, Shu, can we _please_ concentrate here? Newsflash, buddy, our BIG ASS CONCERT is TOMORROW!" Hiro said, waving his hands in front of Shuichi's face.

"Hmm? Oh. Oh! I'm sorry, everyone, I --"

"BANG!"

Shuichi sighed at the new hole in his chest. Luckily he wasn't wearing anything he had sentimental attachment to today. He glanced quickly in Taki's direction, finding the vocalist of ASK scrutinizing him. Shuichi sighed again as he took his time looking at everyone on the huge stage. Ten feet away stood K, his Magnum spouting fresh steam from the mouth.

"Whatever is going on in that brain of yours, register this: up your performance. The world can't stand a hyped-up band with a singer like _that. _You guys won't get through the first concert alive," K said, stowing his gun.

He glanced to the right of the stage, where Stacy and Alex stood. Bad Luck and ASK have been working with the American lyricists for a good three weeks now. It was difficult at first to translate the songs to the Japanese artist's liking, but somehow it all fell together. Bad Luck's English wasn't all that bad, considering that they had K as their manager and managed to glean a thing (or a lot) off of him in the past four years.

"OK. Let's start again. With _gusto_ this time!"

Ken and Suguru nodded at each other as they began the intro to their first song, "Reminisce."

Ken and Suguru worked very efficiently together on composing the score around the lyrics Shuichi and Taki submitted. Ma-kun and Hiro began wailing away, their deep and light notes playing off each other. Shuichi gave another half-hearted sigh as he gripped the microphone stand with his left hand. He brought his right hand up to his forehead, concentrating and focusing on the score. He tapped his foot lightly as he remembered the night he penned the song.

Taki stood a few feet away from Shuichi, observing him. He felt the music pound through his veins. He closed his eyes and began to sway rhythmically. Shuichi began the lyrics in a low, haunting voice, tearing his heart out and putting it in the lyrics as the song progressed. Taki was taken aback at the more focused Shuichi and was glad for it. As Shuichi reached his sopranos, Taki continued to harmonize. The second verse had Shuichi and Taki switching, from background to lead and from lead to background. Although Taki was now leading, he was still awed by the anguish in Shuichi's harmony.

A few seconds after the last chord fell away, Shuichi felt the wind knocked out of him.

"Yeah! That's my man! About time you brought him out!" Hiro laughed gleefully, straddling a dazed Shuichi on the floor.

"Yes, excellent," K said with a gleam in his eyes, "that's our first English-cut track. Congratulations! You guys did very well!"

"Indeed, that was the best performance yet," a voice sounded out.

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice. It belonged to a petite redhead with luminous green eyes. She wore a white button-up shirt and knee-length skirt. She had a wide brown leather belt cinching her already tiny waist. Her feet were clad in wood and leather platforms. Stacy smiled at the beaming artists before her.

"Yes, from what I've seen and heard so far, the American audience will love you guys," Alex said.

All eyes turned away from the redheaded goddess and focused on the American man standing before them. Alex, on first glance, could've been mistaken for a grungy college student with a haphazard taste in clothing. But if you looked at him closely, one could tell that it was a _planned_ destruction with _designer_ names. Alex scratched at his five o' clock shadow as he smiled at the group.

"Hell, even I love you guys. It hasn't been a month yet but …"

"Don't get all creepy on us yet, Alex, we still have a ways to go," Stacy said, linking her arm through Alex's and dragging him off stage.

"Alright guys, continue!" K and Stacy said at the same time.

"Damn, they're both bossy. Good thing Stacy doesn't have a fetish for guns like K, or else we'd _really_ be in deep shit!" Suguru groaned inwardly as Ken began the intro into the next set of songs.

-----

Shuichi slammed his head, for the fifth time, against the cool table in the break room. He rested his head on the table and closed his eyes as he thought about his loss of concentration and focus for the past week since that incident with Yuki. More than anything, Shuichi was mad at himself for letting that bastard get to him on this level. Three years of growing up yet living constantly under Yuki's berating thumb, and this was where it landed him. He felt like a child. He felt the need to be punished and scolded.

-----

Taki retreated to a tree near the stage and rested underneath the shade. He's heard Shuichi sing before time and time again, but the vocalist that stood beside him up there on the stage completely blew him away. Taki began to chuckle as he remembered the first time he laid eyes on Shuichi.

He didn't remember his initial reaction to the duo, but Shuichi stood out like a light beam. His hair was pink, he wore immature clothes, his speaking voice was grating and his hyperactive attitude turned Taki off. He remembered thinking to himself, who the hell was this third-rate kid? Where the hell did he come from? ASK had been in the running to sign with NG way before Bad Luck had ever popped up on the radar. Ken, Ma-kun and he endured, what it seemed to him, a long list of rejections and letters of apologies.

Just when Taki had thought their band was going to drift apart from the constant rejections, the President of NG himself called Taki. Apparently, the President had recently attended a concert at the request of one of his advisors. That night, Tohma Seguchi liked that cocky, arrogant attitude. Taki's voice was tinged with a sheer mist of desperation that particular night and to Tohma, it sounded absolutely beautiful.

He thought back to their "second" meeting. He was just as shocked as Ma-kun at Bad Luck's appearance at the television station. Instead of letting his shock show, he slipped on his cool façade and met head on with this no-talent band. There was something about Shuichi that startled Taki every time he looked at him. It wasn't his short stature, his shock of pink hair, or his ridiculous choices in clothes. He knew it was something deeper. Innocent. That word immediately surfaced, making its way to the edge of his tongue. He almost spat it out in front of Shuichi, but managed, at last minute, to turn away and smirk.

Taki didn't flinch when he thought of what he did to Shuichi. He _couldn't_. At that point in his life, he was so desperate to be NG's number one band. He wouldn't let some spankin' new fresh out of the sanctuary brat surpass him. Not after all the trials and tribulations he and his band went through to make it this far. Taki wondered then, briefly, where he let his mind get to when he thought up of that scheme. He brought the dreams and hopes of those he loved into Hell with him. For that blank minute in his life, he had let his darkest desires overcome him mentally and physically.

Taki felt a swift kick to his sleeping foot. He immediately shook himself out of his thoughts and growled. Being this close to _that_ person just … just made him _think_ more. It was aggravating! Especially when he had more important matters and tasks at hand to complete.

'_Like seducing Shuichi …'_

Taki sighed as he mentally slapped himself and looked up at the person who kicked him.

"Alex? What is it?"

"Ah ah ah, Taki, remember. You must address me in English," Alex said, offering Taki a hand.

Taki repeated his sentence, in English while Alex drew Taki up.

"Why do I have to say everything in English? You know Japanese, it's better for _you_ to communicate with us that way," Taki said in Japanese as he dusted the seat of his jeans.

"Tsk, tsk, Taki, and here you are, the "eldest" of the group. You're setting a bad example. In fact, I'll go as far as saying that you're behaving a little bit like a certain pink-haired singer," Alex said with a sly smile in Japanese.

"Screw you," Taki growled in English.

"No more naps for you if you're gonna be this grumpy. Anyway, speaking of Shuichi, find him in twenty minutes so that we can wrap up the last segment of practice, OK?"

"And as the "eldest" of the group, it is my job to _baby sit_, too? You're unreal," Taki said as he walked away from Alex.

"Thank you!" Alex sang as walked back towards the stage.

The grounds were large. How in the hell was he supposed to find Shuichi in twenty minutes? Taki decided to ask the stage crew and roadies if they've seen Shuichi around. After a lot of questions and few helpful answers, Taki found himself walking to the "break" room fifty paces away from the stage. No wonder Alex couldn't find Shuichi on his own; it was camouflaged pretty well behind an odd assortment of trees and bushes.

Taki opened the door to the trailer and was blasted by a wave of cold air. His ears were greeted with low moans and panting. Taki was about to turn on his heels when he heard a choked sob. He glanced to the right corner where he saw Shuichi slumped over the table, his head cradled in his arms. More moaning and sobs were coming from Shuichi. Taki slowly walked towards the table. He didn't know what to do.

"Yuki … hold me, please … why, Yuki, why?" Shuichi mumbled through his tears.

An idea came to Taki. He slid himself behind Shuichi on the booth, hesitantly sliding his arms around the younger man's shaking body. Shuichi stiffened but then relaxed as he stopped mumbling and shaking. Taki rested his head lightly between Shuichi's shoulder blades, listening to the beat of his heart slowing down from the rush of emotions. Taki didn't know how long they stayed that way until he heard Shuichi's voice.

"You awake, Droopy Eyes?"

"Yeah, I am, brat."

"What do you want?"

Taki held onto Shuichi a little bit tighter.

"Alex says we need to finish up the last part of practice for the concert," his voice soft. "Are you alright, Shuichi?"

"Mmm. Just a little nightmare, that's all. I'm fine now," Shuichi said as he drew in a deep breath.

'_So, I was asking for punishment earlier. And this is what you came up with, God? Shit, and I thought Yuki was screwed beyond recognition.'_

Shuichi laughed softly. He hadn't been this close to anyone since his break up with Yuki. Thinking back to his first time in Taki's bed, he found that he missed the warmth.

-----

"I'll do it."

"A-are you sure?"

"Yeah, why the hell not? Nothing's keeping me tied down here anymore, so … Why the hell not?"

Yuki held the telephone away from his ear as far as he could. He sighed inwardly as he ran a hand through his messy golden locks. He had thrown on his white headband to keep his hair at bay. Yuki closed his eyes as he imagined the ecstatic look on his editor's face.

"As you are well aware of, we've had "Cool" translated in America just last year. The response is … just phenomenal! This had to be one of the smartest moves we've ever done to launch your career … again! And won't that certain someone be _very_ surprised when he finds out."

"Just what the fuck are you getting at, Editor? Cross me and you'll regret it. I swear it on my pathetic life," Yuki seethed through the phone.

Yuki opened his eyes when he didn't hear a reply. He cocked his head to the side, about ready to speak up when his editor responded with a hearty chuckle of disbelief. Yuki shook his head at the damned woman. He couldn't believe he'd let an airhead like her handle all of his professional affairs. But then again, glancing at his surroundings, he _could_ believe it.

"Oh ho ho, you're so funny in such a sly way that you catch me off guard sometimes, Yuki."

'_If only you knew the truth,'_ Yuki thought with a shake of his head.

-----

"Now boarding for Los Angeles, California. Flight 5807, please board Gate 32B at this time. Now boarding first class passengers."

Shuichi sat up straight in his seat, rubbing the last remnants of sleep from his amethyst eyes. He saw the rest of ASK and Bad Luck get up and grab their carry-on bags. Shuichi was the last to get up and the last to stand in line. He had his boarding pass tucked safely between the pages of a new book he picked up at a gift shop. The line moved at an agonizingly slow pace. Shuichi was looking forward to introducing Bad Luck's music to the American audiences. He was also nervous at their reception.

"Have a safe flight," a female worker said, "Next, please."

Shuichi wordlessly handed her his boarding pass. He tried to tug his ticket back but found slight resistance when he did. He looked at the stewardess and sighed. Looking back at him were a pair of glittery brown eyes. A hopeful expression blossomed on her face as Shuichi finally tore his boarding pass from her hands. Without a word, Shuichi found the receipt for his book and produced a pen out of thin air to sign the back of the receipt. He handed it to the stewardess, who seemed to snap out of her trance.

"H-have a safe flight, Mr. Shindou …" it took all her will power not to glomp the vocalist of Bad Luck.

Shuichi muttered under his breath as he stalked down the narrow makeshift corridor leading to the airplane. Leading to a new and exciting adventure. Shuichi didn't know what was going to be in store for him, but he welcomed this experience with open arms.

He was greeted as he boarded the airplane. His seat was 2-D. Shuichi searched for his seat and groaned inwardly as he saw who he was going to sit next to for the next fifteen hours. Shuichi stowed his carry-on bag in the overhead compartment, taking with him a bottle of water, his mp3 player, a notebook and said bought book. He squeezed his butt muscles as he passed Taki, who was sitting in seat 2-C. Taki looked away, but he caught the clean scent wafting from Shuichi's _very close_ warm body that he eyed Shuichi's ass.

'_Please … let this flight be swift,'_ Shuichi prayed as he settled in.

-----

Shuichi woke up in the middle of the flight to find a blanket draped over him. Actually, it was Taki's blanket, but he decided to share since Shuichi was trembling in his sleep. Shuichi turned his head slightly to the left and watched Taki. Looking at him and at how _refreshed_ he looked, Shuichi began to doubt that their concert took place two days before.

To sum up their farewell concert in Tokyo needed only one word.

Chaotic.

Shuichi smirked as his eyes scanned over the crowds, watching all those people - his fans - watching him. Adoring him. Singing the lyrics with him. Wanting him. Needing _him_. The concert drew so much attention and hype that it was broadcasted via satellite and into the homes of millions. It was absolutely amazing. His stomach began to flutter when that _feeling_ crept into his body. He absorbed everything around him as Shuichi felt himself jump all over the stage, giving the rabid crowds one of the best concerts they've ever seen.

Now that it was two days later, his adrenaline was coming down from its temporary self-induced high. His gaze was still on the man seated next to him. Shuichi closed his eyes as he remembered watching, truly watching this time, Taki Aizawa of ASK sing their song before their joint song. Taki's voice was laced with emotions he could relate to. Shuichi felt the loneliness and longing lined in the silver threads of the lyrics. Shuichi hummed along to the lyrics that were now whirling through his head.

_If I run to the darkness_

_Will you ever forgive me_

_Your tears of remorse_

_Are reaching me in solitude_

_How is it when I break you_

_The gods ease your pain_

_Somehow please tell me_

_Are you a god too?_

_Can I fall into your embrace_

_Can I drink up your fears_

_Can I be to you_

_What you are to me_

_Will you_

_Will you love my sins_

Taki stirred in his sleep as he heard something akin to ASK's first debut single. He remembered where he was and tried to move as quietly as possible. The last thing he remembered was Shuichi sleeping next to him. The vocalist of Bad Luck was having a bad case of the shivers and Taki draped half of his blanket over Shuichi. He was content to just sit there and watch him lightly snore. Now, seven hours later over a vast stretch of ocean, he found himself waking up to the melody of his song.

_With your phenomenal strength_

_Can you take on my burdens?_

_Don't look to the desolate universe_

_Because you can't penetrate my hell_

_With this last photograph_

_Even the cherry blossoms lose their blush_

_Can I fall into your embrace_

_Can I drink up your fears_

_Can I be to you_

_What you are to me_

_Will you_

_Will you love my sins_

Taki smiled. He hummed along with Shuichi, shifting his body so that he was facing him. The last thing Taki remembered before drifting off to sleep was the warm hand linked with his underneath the blanket they shared.

-----

"I can't feel my ass."

"Want me to wake it up for you with a grope, Suguru?" Hiro asked with a sly smile on his face.

Suguru turned red at the thought, scolding a playful Hiro. Bad Luck and ASK were now down in the baggage claim area. Shuichi stumbled through some of the American words he saw all over the place. With gentle prodding from Stacy, Shuichi managed to get most of them right. He heaved a sigh as he finally spotted his suitcase. Alex beat him to it and retrieved it for Shuichi.

"Thank you," Shuichi said in his accented English.

"You're very welcome, Shuichi. I see that Stacy has taken liberties with you, eh?" Alex said with a wink.

"What is that? Alex, I don't understand. Stacy has been very nice --"

Stacy appeared behind Alex and slapped him in the back of his head. Alex winced and apologized.

"Idiot. What kind of smut have you been reading in Japan for the past couple of months? You're such a pervert! I can't believe Hildey would pair me up with you, knowing damn well how I feel!" Stacy spat as she ruthlessly grabbed Suguru's suitcase with a hint of animal strength and tossed it on the floor.

"Wow. Glad that wasn't mine," Ken muttered as he saw the crestfallen face of the keyboardist.

That little zipper that kept Suguru's suitcase closed for the past sixteen hours was now flung open. The personal contents of Suguru's little world was flashed all over the marble floors of the airport. Stacy, still berating Alex on his dirtiness, didn't notice until Ma-kun grabbed at her sleeves. She stopped her lecturing and looked to where Ma-kun pointed. Stacy turned a shade of red and flung herself on the floor, wailing and picking up Suguru's contents with a zest.

"I'm so sorry, Suguru! I wasn't paying attention! I'm so sorry," she said, depositing most of the items back in Suguru's broken suitcase.

"I-it's okay. I think. I do expect repayment, somehow or someway," Suguru said after a while.

"Mm-hmm," Ma-kun said with a glint in his eyes, "_someway_. Hot damn, Suguru, I didn't know you were into older women. How are you going to make our beautiful Stacy pay? Do you have a plan with that little toy over there?"

Ma-kun pointed to the last item in Stacy's clutches, smiling all the while. Alex took a step back as he saw the steam come out of Stacy's ear. Without warning, Stacy threw the "little toy" with frightening accuracy at Ma-kun's forehead.

"YOU! So you're the one who corrupted Alex? So you're the Big Daddy Pervert, huh!"

"Ha ha ha ha!" K laughed as he had Stacy in a hold.

He winced as she dug her nails into his arm, demanding to be released.

"Now now, Stacy, you're drawing unwanted attention over here. Don't make me shoot our way out of here if they call on the security guards to see what this is all about."

Stacy hung her head, her petite frame shaking.

"Don't think this is over by a long shot, Alex, and you too, Ma-kun," Stacy said with a flip of her hair.

The little group around her gaped at her leaving form. The band members knew that Stacy had a short fuse about the silliest things, but when you got on her bad side … Let's just say she can execute a Claude K. Winchester to a T. Bad Luck and ASK glanced around the airport. Some of the people there were still standing, observing this interesting group of obvious foreigners.

"Ahem. I think we should go now," Ken said.

Without a word, the group of Japanese men followed K and Alex out of the airport and into their limo.

"What a way to be welcomed in America," Shuichi said with a sigh.

-----

**A/N: **Hmm. For a while there, I thought I was going to completely give up. This is Finals Week (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!) I've been so busy with work, projects, studying for exams … It's almost over, thank goodness!

Ah, yes, so our beloved bands are finally in America! What crazy antics will they get in to? Would you like to see something in particular happen between anyone? Help me move the story along! All suggestions are _very_ welcomed!

So, yes, I suppose this means I'll continue.

Thanks so much for taking the time out to read. Comments and or whatever else you'd like to leave will be highly appreciated. Ja!


	7. Whirlwind

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Taki, Sug X ?

**Rating:** G

**Warning: **… Some Curse Words and Some Such Nonsense …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews! I'm saving the end of A/N for a long ramble ...

-----

Chapter Seven

"Whirlwind"

-----

Needless to say, the events following their touchdown three days, one concert and a television interview later could be described as a hazardous whirlwind. Never in Bad Luck's life, or that in ASK's, had they ever experienced _anything_ of this caliber. It made Shuichi think of his life back in Tokyo, Japan, as that of a stroll in his favorite park. None of them ever dreamed this reality for themselves. To them, it was as unfathomable and incomprehensible as their President, Tohma Seguchi.

Tohma broke down the North American tour into four segments. Thank goodness he kept it simple by breaking them into the time zones. Four cities in the Pacific Time Zone, four cities in the Mountain Time Zone, ten cities in the Central Time Zone and twelve cities in the Eastern Time Zone. Ninety days were allotted for thirty concerts. With one day off a week, that left the two groups roughly twelve days to really enjoy what America had to offer. The advisors thought that this tour was a pretty bold move, even for a person like Tohma Seguchi.

So, Tohma did what he was best at. Negotiating with his smiling eyes and air of authority, he had collected all of the past sales of Bad Luck's records in North America, their magazine spreads and interviews, the numerous television shows they've been on and those that were broadcast specifically for American audiences and, pulling out the trump card with a smirk, Tohma passed around sales of the newly released English version of "Reminisce." The advisors held their breath and looked at each other nervously. Tohma only smiled, his eyes hidden behind his golden locks as he heard the collective murmurs of approval. Their single debuted at number thirty-four. No, not exactly the numbers Tohma was hoping for, but it was mighty impressive for a crossover Japanese band.

Their first concert would either make them or break them, as K told them. The North American NG Records Division have been promoting the hell, literally, out of the newest Japanese crossover band. They were eternally loyal to Tohma Seguchi and so whenever he called, they came running. Of course, their first target audience were the Japanese-based communities. Thanks to the diverse array of technology available, Bad Luck had made their way into the hearts of the girls, boys, men and women of the second, third and fourth generations.

They landed in America - Los Angeles to be more specific - on the last day of May. Shuichi was especially cranky after that long flight. He didn't exactly know where he stood with Taki. He didn't even know if it was _right_ for him to be attracted or repelled by a man such as Taki. Unfortunately on that flight, it gave him plenty of time to contemplate on this new crisis. Shuichi smirked at that thought.

'_Ha, crisis. I know I hate the man, but I'm also attracted to him? Especially counting on the fact of what happened between us? Am I really that out of my mind!'_

Shuichi knew Hiro was hovering nearby, ready to aide him in any way. Hiro didn't want to go where he wasn't needed, especially when it concerned Shuichi. He was there for him when Shuichi was ready to talk, when Shuichi needed a place to stay after one of many infamous "throw-outs" on Yuki's part. No, Hiro felt that this ran much deeper and required a bit more time on Shuichi's part. He'll be there.

As soon as the bands got to their hotels, K ran them crazy around Los Angeles. They didn't even have a chance to stop and smell in the wonders that was America. That didn't stop Ma-kun and Hiro from gawking at the female populace. It was the beginning of summer, and plenty of tanned golden skin flashed all over the place.

First stop for the band members was the location of their concert for a run through and final sound check. Next was wardrobe, which was on the other side of town. Town? No, it was more like a sprawling concrete metropolis. The weather called for the members of Bad Luck and ASK to dress a bit lighter from their skin-tight leather pants, silk shirts and sharp suits. Each member, of course, had their own distinctive style, and their stylists were good-natured and very delighted to service these Japanese rock stars.

_/Friday/_

After a _lot_ of coaxing from Stacy, K decided to ease up on the performers and took them to Hollywood a day before their debut concert.

"Nothing but the best for my little monkeys," K said as he tried to grapple the steering wheel from the chauffer.

Suguru held on tight to his seat belt as his face took on a tinge of green. Shuichi grabbed onto Hiro for dear life as Ma-kun just swayed with the SUV. Ken, showing no emotion on his face, was mentally pulling at his hair and begging God to forgive them for all their sins. Taki sat unperturbed, amused by K's trying dominance over the assigned chauffer. Stacy and Alex kept fifty feet away on the highway as they saw the jet black Hummer weave in and out of traffic like it was a compact car.

"Sir, we'll get to the studios on time! Just … let GO … of the damn steering wheel!" the chauffer said, trying to keep his cool and not panic.

"But you can drive a little faster!"

"Sir, it's seventy. If I push it anymore, I'll get a ticket for sure!"

"But the speedometer reads only eighty. I'll quit as soon as you reach one hundred," K said, trying to pull out his Magnum at the same time.

"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Shuichi howled, "Please let this man do his job! Do you want us to DIE!"

K turned around in his shotgun seat and cheekily smiled at his beloved star pupil.

"Of course not! Someone will be terribly upset with me if I deliver his morsel to him late," K said, sliding his Magnum back in his holster.

There was a collective murmur at this little tidbit K handed out.

"Oh yes, I wouldn't do this for _anyone_ but him, so please sit tight and try to understand my haste."

The last thing the bands expected from K was his serious tone. They settled in a bit deeper into their seats as the SUV stopped its swerving. Greenery, cars, landmarks, and signs sped by the group as they were carried further and further into a land populated with stars, literally. Shuichi wondered what K meant by morsel. Who was it that he was trying to see? Then a light bulb went on.

'_Of course! He's talking about his wife, the wildly popular international actress! But wait … he said _him_. Could it possibly be …'_

Shuichi rode the rest of the way with a death grip on Hiro's arm and a dreamy smile plastered on his face. Maybe this would also be his chance to break into the acting business if he could get K to pull the right strings. Then maybe he'll have a chance to run into his idol, Ryuichi Sakuma, in America! Three years ago after Bad Luck won the Singles Battle, they found out with the rest of Japan that Ryuichi was going to America to pursue acting.

Shuichi got the occasional call from Ryuichi and maybe a handful of visits when he came back to Japan, but … that was all. Nonetheless, Shuichi followed his idol's career almost as studiously as Tatsuha. Together, they secretly formed The Ultimate Divine Servants of Sexy God Ryuichi Sakuma Fan Club. Perhaps it was a tad bit out there for Shuichi, but he still loved Ryuichi very much and without him as his inspiration, Shuichi wouldn't be where he was today.

Taki glanced at Shuichi every now and then, wondering who it was that gave him that smile.

'_Is he thinking about me?'_

There was a long pause.

'_Of course not! What reason would Shuichi have to smile about me? I still can't get over what I've done to him. He couldn't have forgiven me that easily. I … I don't know what I feel for him. I hate him as my rival, I hate him at being so accomplished in such a short period of time, but … I'm attracted to him. Why?'_

"Stare at him any harder and I'm sure he'll notice the two holes you've bored into his chest," Ma-kun whispered as he leaned over Taki, swiping at a stray bang.

That startled the hell out of Taki. He definitely wasn't expecting anything like that from one of his close band mates. Taki quickly tried to come up with an excuse to counter Ma-kun's sharp observation but failed miserably. All he ended up doing was opening and closing his mouth, his eyes darting back and forth between air and nowhere.

"I've been watching you, Tachi, around Shuichi. Am I mistaken to say that there's something going on, even if it is one-sided?"

"What's it to you," Taki growled as he clenched his fists.

"Hey, no need to get defensive. I'm not accusing you of anything. Are you … Are you okay? I mean, with what happened --"

"Do you think I haven't thought about _that_? It's just … fuck, Ma-kun, it's wrong for me to even have these _thoughts_ about him! I don't … For once, I don't know what to do," Taki said in a barely audible whisper.

Ma-kun reached for Taki's hand, squeezing his hand over Taki's own. He looked at Taki until Taki looked back at him. Something in Ma-kun's eyes told Taki that he accepted it, that he'll be there for him whenever he needed him. Ma-kun smiled gently and silently mouthed, "_Always_." Taki mentally kicked himself for holding onto this burden for so long. One thing he knew was that no matter what happened in the next three months, his rock-steady band mates will _always_ be there for him, even when he's as selfish and cold-hearted as could be.

-----

Suguru immediately bolted out of the SUV first as soon as it came to a complete stop. He hugged the ground and rubbed his face on the black asphalt, not caring at the gawking passer-bys or how hot the pavement was. Everyone's legs wobbled a bit at having contact with solid ground and eventually they got used to walking again.

"Okay, my mewlings, this way!" K said happily as he marched the group into a vast studio.

There was a flurry of activity as people around them scurried this way and that way with clothes, props, scripts and many more things that Shuichi couldn't readily put a name to. His footsteps became lighter and lighter as they entered the studio. Their eyes adjusted some seconds later from the transition of being outside in the blinding sun to the dark cavernous studio inside. Shuichi found himself laying on the ground, the breath knocked out of him as he felt a warm and hard body squirm on top of him.

"Shu-chan! Say hi to him, Kumagoro!"

"Ryuichi, get off of him already. I think you killed him," K said, his words laced with a smile.

"Look what you did to him, Kumagoro! I told you to not tackle him like that! If Shu-chan dies, I don't know what I'll do without him!" Ryuichi sat up, straddling Shuichi.

Shuichi, meanwhile, tried to slow his heartbeat and agonizingly tried to smother the lust that rose between his legs. He blushed furiously at the situation he found himself in. Ryuichi wasn't making it any easier by bouncing up and down lightly. He and Tatsuha might've gotten close, but not close enough where Tatsuha's pervertedness rubbed off on him and he'd take advantage of the situation.

"Ryu-Ryuichi-san …" Shuichi finally managed, "please get off of me."

Ryuichi quit his wailing and bouncing and brought his head closer to Shuichi. His watery orbs began to clear, seeing that Shuichi would be just fine and that he wouldn't be the one responsible for killing Shuichi. He grabbed Shuichi up into a fierce hug, rubbing his head between Shuichi's collar bone.

"I'm so--so glad that you're okay, Shuichi! And talk to me in English!" Ryuichi said, finally releasing the singer.

He stood up and brushed the bottom of his jeans. Ryuichi extended his hands to Shuichi and pulled him up. Ryuichi was slightly startled when Shuichi rose to his full height. Ryuichi smiled and hugged Shuichi tightly again. He stood on his tip toes and whispered in Shuichi's ear,

"I see someone's done a bit of growing up. I like it, Shu-chan," and gave Shuichi's earlobe a light lick.

Shuichi shuddered beneath the shorter man's contact and fought the ache to press himself against his long-time idol. Ryuichi immediately extricated himself from Shuichi and smiled.

"Kumagoro says hello to everyone! Welcome to the set of my newest movie!" Ryuichi beamed at all the faces that were fixed on him and a blushing Shuichi.

To his delight, the members of ASK and Bad Luck greeted him in English. He glared at Shuichi and cleared his throat rather loudly. Shuichi, still dazed from such a physical and intimate touch, stared at Ryuichi.

"Hi, Ryuichi," Shuichi said, almost shyly.

"Just call me Ryu. That's what everyone on the set calls me now. It's so much fun! I love being in front of the camera. I'm kind of sad that Kumagoro can't be with me in front of the camera, coz he loves the camera too. But I bought him his own camera, so he's kind of happy now. I haven't seen you since last year!"

Shuichi tried to follow the string of English phrases that rolled off of Ryuichi's tongue so naturally. He shook his head in amazement as Ryuichi continued his tirade to the rest of the group. Taki, meanwhile, couldn't believe that this babbling idiot in front of him was the legendary Ryuichi Sakuma. As observant as ever, he caught something private pass between Shuichi and Ryuichi and how Ryuichi had left Shuichi flustering. Taki took back his prior statement. Ryuichi isn't an idiot; he's working other ulterior motives underneath that disguise. From that moment on, Taki had new-found admiration for the former lead singer of Nittle Grasper.

"Honey!" a female voice called out.

"My baby!" K replied.

In a flurry of red silk and black feathers, Judy Winchester launched herself towards her husband. She wrapped her arms around K's neck and kissed him deeply, completely unaware of anyone or anything else around them. K tightened his arms around his wife's slim waist and returned the kiss with fervor.

"Daddy!"

The kiss was broken by Michael, his eight-year-old son. Judy disentangled herself from her husband and watched as her son jumped into the arms of her beloved. She let out a satisfied sigh and clasped her hands at their reunion.

"Daddy daddy daddy! I've missed you! I'm so glad you're gonna spend the summer with me!"

"Nope."

"Wh-what?" Michael's voice faltered. The expression on his face almost broke K's heart. Almost.

"I'm not spending the summer with you. _You're _spending summer with _me_! Mommy has already agreed to let you come with us on our tour," K said, barely finishing as Michael wriggled out of his father's arm and launched himself at his mother.

"Thank you thank you thank you, Mommy! I love you!"

Judy smiled benevolently at her son, running her fingers through his hair.

"But you must promise to not bother anyone, and stay close to Dad or I'll have to send Ark after you."

"I don't want poo poo Ark! I'll be good, I promise!"

Michael turned around from his mom and stopped in his tracks. He saw Shuichi smile at him and something inside him clicked. Michael ran to Shuichi and knocked him on his back. Shuichi fell with a solid thud to the ground, his breath knocked out of him for the second time. He honestly didn't know how many more of these attacks he could withstand today.

"Shuichi Shindou! I listen to all your songs! Daddy sent me autographed CD's of you guys! I wanna learn how to play the guitar like Hiro and learn how to put music together like Suguru! I'm gonna be M. Chester, one-man band! You're so much bigger in person! I like--whoa!"

Michael didn't get to finish his sentence as he found himself floating in the air and staring at his dad. He giggled and yelped as K tapped his nose lightly.

"I can't have you knocking one of my stars down like that, Michael. You can hurt him," K said.

"Mm, no, not really, Daddy. Shuichi looks pretty strong to me," Michael said, looking over at Shuichi, who was still on the floor.

Ma-kun and Ken cracked up, finding the whole situation entirely too hilarious. They've never seen K soften up like this before and it was a real treat. It didn't last too long as K pulled his Magnum out and shot Ma-kun and narrowly missed the ever-alert Ken. He blew the smoke away from the mouth of his gun and slid it back into his holster with a smirk. Suguru sweat dropped and muttered something about not being able to take this anymore. Hiro stood by with his arms crossed and his eyes merry. Keeping Shuichi preoccupied would be a piece of cake now with Michael around.

Taki walked over to Shuichi and lightly kicked at his hand. Seeing Shuichi's middle finger sticking up at him, Taki bent over and extended his own hand, which Shuichi grabbed without protest. Shuichi shook his head to cast off his slight dizziness and looked around the studio. The props and other actors in costume gave him a clue about the movie. An old-fashioned gangster shoot 'em up style movie. He loved the violence and the passionate love in these types of movie. Blame his choice on his prior relationship with Yuki.

"Yay! Now that Shu-chan's okay, let's sing a song before I have to get made up again!" Ryuichi said ecstatically.

"Ryu, I don't think I can sing after--"

"Nonsense! Please, Shu-chan? It'll be like old times! Please?"

Shuichi couldn't say no after Ryuichi pulled out his puppy-dog eyes and waved Kumagoro around, his bunny paws clasped together in a prayer.

With a sigh and a nod, Shuichi agreed. How long has it been since he last sang with Ryuichi? If he remembered correctly, it was three years ago at the Tokyo Bay Music Fes. Ryuichi had called Shuichi out to sing with him, live in front of thousands of people and millions of people via satellite. That was his first big audience and the thrill he got out performing … there just wasn't anything that could match that feeling. Maybe, a long time ago, the new love of a blossoming relationship with Yuki could've been comparable, but not anymore.

Ryuichi disappeared for a few minutes and then came back with a stereo. He plopped Kumagoro on top of the stereo and told him to behave while he and Shu-chan sang together. Ryuichi pushed the 'Play' button and the beginning of 'Rage Beat' reverberated throughout the studio. Ryuichi grabbed Shuichi by the hand and dragged him to where the lighting crew was checking a spotlight for the movie.

Ryuichi danced around seductively, drawing Shuichi closer and closer to him. All Shuichi could do was inwardly sigh, a slow smile spreading across his handsome face. The rest of the members of Bad Luck and ASK stood in the shadows, watching teacher and pupil join together once more for an impromptu concert.

Shuichi sang the first verse and by this time, was oblivious to the rest of the world. To him, there was only one person in his line of vision. While the duo was dancing around and singing in Japanese, the rest of the studio came to a stand still and watched the display. Most of the people working there had a vague idea of who Ryuichi really was. They've heard stories, they've caught him humming and sometimes belting out a tune or two, but never with this much passion. They've never seen Ryuichi's hips sway that way, they've never seen the sultriness of his smoldering eyes, and they've never felt emotions that were beginning to stir at the call of his _true_ voice. As for the newcomer, they felt like he was Ryuichi's pea in a pod. Together, they were indomitable.

They sang the chorus together and Ryuichi finished the second verse. Ryuichi and Shuichi stood facing each other, chests heaving from the sudden rush of adrenaline, smiling as they sang the last note together. Ryuichi and Shuichi snapped out of their temporary bubble and bowed in every direction as thunderous applause, whistles, and cat calls were heard all around them.

"That's my Shu-chan!" Ryuichi said, smiling broadly, "Go see him and his band in concert tomorrow! I command you to do so! Where's the director so that I can give you all a day off tomorrow? Kumagoro, have you seen Denny? Really?"

Ryuichi walked out of the spotlight and set out to find his director, Denny, with Kumagoro leading the way. Shuichi glanced around him as a few admirers were still cheering him.

"Excuse me! Who are you guys again? Where's your manager?" a female voice cut through.

"I am their manager, Claude Winchester. My bands are Bad Luck and ASK. What can I do for you?" K said, eyeing a voluptuous woman with distinct Spanish features.

"I'm Arianna Leguizimo. I'm the scout for new talent and also the CEO of Funky Music Television. I didn't come to the studio today to actually find new talent. I came here to interview Ryuichi Sakuma for his newest role. How lucky it was of me to witness such a rare opportunity. Anyway, to get straight to the point, I want to interview your band members, perhaps get them a bit more exposure to their music. Make them accessible to the American audience," she said.

"Well, very fortuitous indeed. Our concert is tomorrow night, and Sunday is their day off. I hope your viewing audiences don't mind that it won't be taped live. I'm afraid that's all the time you'll have with them," K said, handing her his business card.

"I'll make each and every second count, Mr. Winchester. Thank you for your time. Good luck to you guys on your concert tomorrow. I'll definitely be watching," and with a click of her heels, Arianna swayed her way towards Ryuichi's direction.

"Hmm, not bad guys. Funky Music Television is the equivalent of Hit Stage, but of course, with a more diverse and bigger audience. Everything seems to falling in place," K said with a gleam in his eyes.

_/End of Friday/_

-----

_/Sunday Afternoon/_

So here they were, waiting anxiously in the wings of the Funky Music Television studio for their cue to come out. The concert last night was a hundred times scarier and a hundred times better than their Farewell Concert in Tokyo. The ever charismatic Ryuichi Sakuma pulled a miracle from Kumagoro's hat and, to the amazement of both bands, the first thirty feet in front of the stage was _packed_ with the entire crew and cast of Ryuichi's movie. Ryuichi, of course, was waiting in the wings, beaming at Shuichi.

Shuichi didn't let the huge crowd faze him. The crowd actually pumped more self-induced adrenaline into his body. Shuichi kept shaking himself out of his thoughts while ASK warmed the crowd up. He wasn't sure when he would wake up from this dream; he couldn't draw the line between reality and fantasy to save his life at that moment. After ASK finished two songs, the lights cut out. Bad Luck hustled from the wings and took their position next to ASK. The lights snapped back on to reveal the main attraction.

It started out as a low murmur as the majority of crowd scrutinized Bad Luck. Hard core followers screamed and yelled, causing a ruckus that rose up and with the effect of a tidal wave, washed over the entire crowd. Ken and Suguru played the first notes of their joint song with such zeal that when Hiro and Ma-kun introduced the rifts of the guitar, it drove the female fans to the brink of no return. From the first lyric on, Shuichi sang with all his heart and soul, drowning in his own misfortune, playing the song with such heartfelt emotion that there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd.

As the second verse came around, Shuichi glanced at Taki and was surprised when he shook his head and mouthed, "_Finish it_," to him. Shuichi dipped his head in acknowledgement and finished the song. As the last notes lingered in the air, Shuichi took a low bow. He stayed that way even after the crowd suddenly burst forth with yells, screams and applause. They did four more songs before they had an intermission. K whispered to Shuichi as he jogged from the stage to the wings,

"You've got 'em."

With that phrase taking off at one hundred miles per hour in his head, the rest of the concert flashed by. During the concert, the publicity team plastered posters everywhere, announcing ASK and Bad Luck's interview with the ever-popular VJ Destiny tomorrow at Funky Music Television's studio. The posters also announced that fans were welcome into the studio to watch the interview and to stick around at the end of the hour for a very special performance. Little did they know the pandemonium it'd cause that following Sunday afternoon.

At best, Taki thought that there'd be a handful of fans sitting in the huge studio. What greeted Bad Luck and ASK was very unexpected and _surprising_. It thrilled to them to no end as they peeked around the wings that hid them from their audience. The 'On Air' sign came on and the audience began their cheering. From the other wing, the producer motioned for them to walk out.

It took a few seconds for the glaring lights to subside, but when the members of both bands sat down into plush suede chairs around VJ Destiny, the sheer volume of fans left them breathless. They certainly weren't expecting to have _this_ many fans at the beginning of their tour.

"Welcome to Funky MT! I know that in the previous line-up of our interviews we didn't have Bad Luck and ASK in our roster. But how lucky am I, sitting here next to six to-die-for gorgeous men, about ready to interview them!" VJ Destiny boomed over the cheering crowds.

"OK! Let's start with the opening act, ASK! Tell me your names and what you do in the band," VJ Destiny said.

"Ken. Keyboard."

"Hello, ladies. The nick name is Ma-kun. I play guitar, but if you'd like, I can show you other "skills" with my amazing fingers," Ma-kun said, cocking his head to the side, smiling broadly and flipping his sheath of blond hair over his shoulder. Who knew how many of the female and male audience fainted at this point.

"Taki. Vocalist."

"Alright, and for the other band, Bad Luck!"

"Suguru. Keyboard."

"Hiro. Don't let Ma-kun fool you. He knows my fingers are the best … at playing guitar," Hiro said, moving his hand lazily through his red hair. More screams were heard.

"And last but not least, I'm Shuichi , lead vocalist of Bad Luck! I look forward to servicing America with my vocals," Shuichi said confidently, sending his smoldering gaze to the audience and then straight at the camera crew. If possible, the entire female populace drooled with animal lust.

"Great! Now that we have the formal introductions out of the way, let's get down to business. I listened to both of your albums from a couple of years ago, and I saw your concert last night, which was amazing, by the way. I noticed that there was a significant difference between those albums. Care to elaborate?"

"ASK, at our time of introduction, could be grouped more with the popular jpop sound," Ma-kun began.

"But we've evolved over the years. So many experiences, heartbreak, life-changing events … Our music matured with us, and we're proud of the sound we have now," Taki added with a gleam in his eye.

"You might hear a little bit of jpop every now and then, but as Taki said, we've grown to a more mature sound," Ken said.

"Bad Luck?"

"We were a two-man band before this fluff joined us," Shuichi said with a smile.

That caused Suguru to stare daggers at him and nonchalantly batted at Shuichi's comment.

"BUT, this musical genius helped us to become who we are today. Truthfully, without Suguru, we wouldn't have made it this far," Shuichi said, throwing a smile at a now blushing Suguru.

"Our sound is a bit more mellow, darker," Hiro said.

"What we've experienced as a band, as friends and comrades, is explicitly voiced through our music and through our vocals, also," Suguru said, smiling at Shuichi.

"Oh my! Such deep, wonderful answers! Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the questions you've all been waiting for …" VJ Destiny said with a sly smile. She grabbed Shuichi's hand and held it to her heart. Shuichi kept his cool as he felt the soft shape underneath his hand. He stared deep into her eyes and gave her a slight smirk. He felt her heart race underneath his palm and watched her stutter the next question.

"O-oh … ah, uhm, what I meant to feel, I mean, what I meant to ask is … do you have any significant others? I know that you used to be involved with Yuki Eiri," VJ Destiny said, "So what about now?"

At the mention of Yuki's name, several girls swooned in the audience.

"I'm single. I'm ready to take life on, but I'm not sure if I'm looking for anyone right now," Shuichi said, gently removing his hand from VJ Destiny's "heart."

"Let's just say we're all available at this point," Ma-kun said with a delicious smile.

Suguru only smiled and shook his head slightly. Ken caught it but didn't say anything. Ma-kun was nudged by Ken, though, and Ma-kun caught it. He smiled broadly as he cleared his throat.

"But, it seems that one of us here is in a hot and heavy relationship that he doesn't wish to share with anyone. In fact … it's a S.E.C.R.E.T!" Ma-kun said.

Shuichi and Taki's head both snapped up and glared at Ma-kun. Ma-kun laughed with mirth and slapped Suguru on the back.

"Oh my god! Is it true, Sugar?"

"It's Su-gu-ru, VJ Destiny," Suguru said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in frustration. His body language said it all.

"I know, but you're so sweet like sugar, Sugar," VJ Destiny said with a wink. "Anyway, who is this lucky person?"

"I do not care to divulge my personal life. Frankly, it's none of your business. Shouldn't we focus on our music here?" Suguru asked.

"Well, yes, that part of the segment is done, so let it be done! Now we're all anxious to hear about your love lives! Do you find women attractive, Shuichi?"

"I love women. They're all beautiful to me," Shuichi said, smiling at the audience.

"So this past relationship with Yuki …" VJ Destiny pressed.

"Was not a fluke," Shuichi said simply with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Love doesn't know color, gender or sex. Love should be what it is and not over-analyzed to a certain stigma that society has placed on us. Love is glorious, and to find that someone to share it with, even if it was for a short time, should be cherished nonetheless as a gift," Hiro said, obviously wooing all the women all over the United States.

VJ Destiny tore her gaze away from Shuichi and _gushed_ at Hiro. She threw her arms around the guitarist of Bad Luck and planted a full juicy kiss on his lips. She wound her fingers through his long hair and moaned into his lips. Hiro, being the rational person that he was, let it lingered for a few more seconds and then broke the kiss.

"Wow. Where's mine?" Ma-kun asked.

"So does that count as a form of love, Hiro?" VJ Destiny asked, blushing furiously at the bold move she made.

"It could be interpreted however you want it to," Hiro said.

"Hmm, okay," VJ Destiny said, clearly responding to the yelling and panicking producer that was in her ear piece. "Sorry about that folks! You guys just have _no_ idea how hard it is for me to keep my paws off of these men! But now that our segment is coming to a close, stay tuned for a special performance from ASK and Bad Luck!"

They took a quick break and three minutes later were on air again. ASK went first, playing their next single. Taki knew that this kind of exposure would be a once in a lifetime deal, so he gave into the song and mesmerized the audience with his voice, moves and looks. Bad Luck joined them on their second song, "Reminisce." The camera zoomed in on some audience members singing along. The third and final song was introduced by Shuichi.

"This song is old, but it holds many cherished memories. I'm taking you guys back three years. In Japanese," Shuichi said with a wink.

Suguru's keyboard began the intro to 'In the Moonlight,' followed shortly by Hiro's guitar. Shuichi smiled at his band mates and looked into the audience. He scanned the crowd and smiled at them, letting them know that he appreciated them being there, supporting them. His eyes stopped on a blond. His eyes were impenetrable, seeing as how he had on the darkest shades of sunglasses on. Shuichi felt his heart palpitate but resumed to normal when he realized it wasn't who he thought it was. He scolded himself for being so jumpy and guarded.

Nonetheless, it didn't stop Shuichi from envisioning the blond-haired man that changed his life (besides Ryuichi, of course). He felt a rush of old emotions and wounds opening up fresh, threatening Shuichi to reveal themselves to the audience. Shuichi gathered up his will and dispelled any of the old emotions and sang with such intensity and yearning that he captivated _everyone_ that was in the studio. Time stood still as every pair of eyes were inexplicitly drawn to the handsome man singing in Japanese. Ninety percent of the audience didn't understand the words, but the hues of emotion steadilypulsating from Shuichi didn't deter their understanding of longing, of waiting, of being alone. Shuichi nearly choked at the end but caught Taki's gaze. Something in his eyes comforted Shuichi.

Shuichi finished and walked to his band mates. He grabbed Suguru's and Hiro's hands, urging them to take a bow with him. His band mates complied and bowed to the thunderous studio audience. VJ Destiny launched herself at Shuichi and pecked him all over his face. Ken and Hiro had to pry her off Shuichi as her ear piece fizzled and died, killing the voice of the producer on the other end. Shuichi glanced over at Taki, who looked back at him with his head cocked to one side, hands in his pockets. For that one instant, they shared a genuine smile.

_/End of Sunday/_

-----

**A/N: **I apologize to those who've waited for the next installment. I had writer's block. Couldn't make sense of my thoughts for this chapter. Wasn't sure how to do the tours, if I should emphasize on one and then other "situations" and whatnot. Whew! Sure got my brain thinking a lot. But since it's for Gravi, I'm all about it! Me and my trusty Tylenol Rapid Release!

Okay, I guess up next is the Mountain Tour, but I'm gonna kick it off with the last city in the Pacific Tour … LAS VEGAS! Again, I welcome any ideas and input for the next chapter. And Yuki makes an appearance … but where? When? And who is Suguru involved with?

I know I didn't put that much smut into this chapter, but there will be plenty of it in the next chapter! So stayed tuned, folks, coz this'll get interesting (finally).

Oh, and one more thing! Happy early birthday to our beloved Tachi-kun! This chapter is dedicated to him .

Thanks so much for taking the time out to read. Comments and or whatever else you'd like to leave will be highly appreciated. Ja!


	8. Risk

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Taki, Shu X Yuki, Sug X , Ma-kun X , Alex X ?

**Rating:** MA+

**Warning: **… A _Lotta _Lime-y and Lemon-y Sits and Some Curse Words and Some Such Nonsense …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews! Yes, taking a look at the pairings for this chapter … wow … but it's smut with a LOT of plot, okay! Well … maybe not that much plot … And folks, this is a _very_ _very_ long chapter! So get ready to be rocked!

-----

Chapter Eight

"Risk"

-----

After their interview with VJ Destiny at Funky Music Television Studio, the group became more recognizable to the masses. It also opened up doors for them that they couldn't possibly imagine existed. Ma-kun found it hard to keep his pants around his hips because more often than not, the self-appointed playboy of the group found it around his ankles or strewn about in different locations. Ken was dubbed as the strong and silent type, while Suguru was the musical genius with a cool demeanor. Hiro was seen as the sexy romanticist and Shuichi was … Shuichi, the God. Taki for the most part had a little bit of everything that each member held, or what the media gave them anyway, and that was fine by him.

The bands would be able to relax a little bit after they wrapped up their last city tour for the Pacific Time Zone. Suguru and Ken had actually compiled some fascinating data and even took the liberty to _schedule_ some "fun outings" for the band members, manager and their entourage.

Judy Winchester was promoting their music by hosting soirées featuring the instrumental versions of Bad Luck and ASK's songs. That got some of her circle of friends interested in who produced it, are there lyrics to the songs, who sings them, where are they from etc. She smiled when she thought of Michael and Claude together … for an entire three months. She knew that Claude was not only a devoted husband and father, but friend, manager and supporter. Judy also knew that Michael was completely over the moon at his good fortune and knew that she would get ear loads full of his experiences on the tour.

-----

"Alright! Let's take a quick break, guys! Be ready to pick up where we left off in thirty minutes!" K said to his six members.

"Stacy, do you mind starting rehearsals if I don't come back in time?" K asked, his cell phone ringing with the latest Bad Luck tone.

"Sure! I'll get right on the ball!" Stacy said enthusiastically, shooing K away.

Alex, meanwhile, was flirting unabashedly with Suguru. Suguru took it all in with natural stride and even became playful with Alex. Alex leaned over the keyboard Suguru was practicing on and whispered something in his ear. Suguru stopped playing momentarily and threw his head back, laughing. Whatever Alex said to Suguru obviously entertained him. Ma-kun could only shake his head while watching the two. With all of the beautiful American women around, he couldn't figure out _why_ Alex would go for another man. Suguru was a little fruity, too, in Ma-kun's opinion. Ken glanced up every now and then from his new arrangement. Taki sat at the edge of the stage, his legs moving to their own accord.

'_It's hard to believe that it's been two weeks since our first concert. I had to admit, I was feeling a little intimidated. ASK never got to play a concert since Tohma signed us back into a contract. To be dragged across the United States with Bad Luck … Earlier, I said that it was our bad luck to be stuck with these guys, but … They're really not as terrible as I thought they'd be. Who knew that I'd be able to tolerate Shuichi without throttling him. Then again, this isn't the same Shuichi from three years ago. He's completely different. He's grown, matured … somewhat. To officially hear him announce that he's single … why do I feel so full of hope?'_

"A penny for your thoughts," a voice asked, shaking him out of his thoughts.

Taki glanced behind him, catching his breath as Shuichi plopped himself next to the vocalist of ASK.

"Just for you, I'll charge you a million dollars for my thoughts," Taki said with a smirk.

"Oh? That's it? You're a pretty cheap sell-out, Taki," Shuichi replied, his violet orbs full with the stage lights.

"Cheh. We'll see," Taki said evenly, a shy grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"You know, you look better that way," Shuichi said, lifting his head to look at the soaring balconies.

"What?"

"When you smile your real smile. It's better than that smirk or scowl you're always hiding behind. Seeing Taki … being Taki is much, much better," Shuichi said, tossing a sideway glance at Taki.

Taki didn't know what to say, so he "Hmphed" and crossed his arms, staring straight ahead into the seats that'll be full of screaming fans come tomorrow night. Shuichi laughed, feeling it come from the bottom of his soul and rise to the tips of his dark pink hair. Everyone glanced at Shuichi and smiled, shaking their heads slightly. It was great to hear Shuichi laugh, especially when it was a _genuine_ laugh. Hiro and Suguru knew that it pained Shuichi to be away from Yuki, but it was his choice. All they could hope for was for Shuichi to recover a little bit of himself … either by himself or with their help. They were glad to see the Shuichi they've known come back little by little.

-----

"It all worked out as planned, didn't it?"

"Yes. A little too well."

"Are you complaining? You couldn't have orchestrated the set up any better."

"Mmm. Will we be expecting you tomorrow night?"

"Of course! I wouldn't miss my chance."

"Ryuichi …"

"Don't worry, K. I just need to know, alright?"

"I swear, Ryuichi, if you hurt him beyond repair--"

"Oh, gracious, K, please spare me."

With that, K closed his clam-shell cell phone shut. He had a fatherly instinct about Ryuichi's intentions, but … this call confirmed it all too well for him. It's bad enough that Tohma had run him ragged, what with him managing two bands, an extensive thirty-city tour in America and now he had to worry about Michael pestering his charges. Well, just Shuichi in particular.

He did everything that Ryuichi asked of him. He had Tohma pull one of his myriad strings to get onto Funky Music Television on such short notice. He'd almost kill them all on the highway by trying to catch Arianna in time for her "lucky" break.

He felt the strange vibe between Shuichi and Taki. K didn't necessarily _dislike_ Taki, but he was wary of him. He didn't know what Taki's true intentions are and K planned to keep a _very_ close eye on him until he could make further sense of their situation.

-----

"Isn't the view just breathtakingly beautiful?"

"Hn."

"Don't tell me that you're still upset. I had _nothing_ to do with it, I swear!"

"Didn't I already tell you that if you're _fucking with me_ that I'll have to kill you?"

"Aha ha ha! You really need to stop that, Yuki! It's not good for your health or your complexion! Why don't you rest up for a bit and then you can go gamble your life savings away!"

Yuki's editor didn't hear anything except for a low, feral growl coming from Yuki's tall frame.

"Hmm, okay then champ. Do whatever pleases that little genius love story mind of yours!"

"Hn."

Yuki didn't even acknowledge his editor eventually backing out of his hotel room and into the hallway. Yuki stood with his back to the door, watching the neon lights that shamed even the brightest star. But at this moment, he knew where there was an even brighter, more glorious star shining right now. Yuki couldn't shake himself out of his reverie to actually go see that star. Not yet.

Yuki tore his gaze away from the luminescent scene before him and sauntered towards the mini-bar. He had requested several hard liquors and brandies, and of course, his beer, but tonight, he didn't feel like drinking alone. Yuki went to the closet and pulled out a black blazer to go with his black pants and button-up shirt. He tossed it haphazardly over his shoulder as he grabbed his wallet, room key and slid his sunglasses over his eyes.

'_Luck? Am I feeling lucky tonight? We'll see.'_

With that, Yuki left his Presidential Suite and went to the elevator and waited for the doors to open. Meanwhile, Taki and Shuichi were on the same floor at the opposite end of the same hotel. Each band got their own Presidential Suite, but Taki decided to try and take Shuichi out to get away from Suguru's "let's go see everything we can in three hours" tour of Las Vegas. Shuichi politely declined and Suguru didn't push it any further. Suguru had managed to grab Hiro, Ma-kun, Ken, Alex and Stacy with one arm and waved with the other as they all trooped out of the door. Stacy was protesting that it wasn't necessary; she knew Las Vegas by heart. Alex kept mooing in Suguru's direction, a smile plastered on his face. Nope, Taki and Shuichi would _not_ miss their band mates and friends this particular night.

Shuichi and Taki strolled through the lush hallway towards the elevators and frowned simultaneously as the doors closed with a ding, revealing a sliver of a view of a tall man in shades and a black suit.

"Oh well. No need to rush it since we've got all night," Shuichi said with an indifferent shrug.

"Yep. No rushing needed when it comes to throwing your money away," Taki said with a smirk, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah the hell right," Shuichi retorted.

"Let's make it a bet then," Taki replied casually.

"Sure. The one who wins the most money by midnight gets to direct the rest of the night, including the loser."

"What do you mean by "including the loser?"

"Idiot. It means that the winner gets to do whatever to the loser for the rest of the stay in Las Vegas."

"Oh ho, some balls you have there, Shuichi," Taki smirked.

"Yeah, I bet you wanna take a peak, huh? My--"

'_Ding.'_

"--big, lovely balls all in your--"

The door slid open to reveal a pair of snooty elderly ladies weighed down with massive diamond and gold jewelry and a tad bit too much paint on their saggy canvases. They actually turned their nose _up_ in the air when Shuichi and Taki stepped in. Clearly, the expression on their face didn't like the direction of Shuichi and Taki's conversation. Shuichi and Taki held their breath and stifled their laughter all the way down to the Grand Lobby.

-----

"I can't take this anymore, Suguru. You've got nothing on me to keep me here with you guys for the rest of the night," Hiro said with a sigh.

"Yes, I do! I have plenty of your exploits memorized right here," Suguru said, pointing to his head.

Hiro rolled his eyes and ran his hand through his hair.

"Go ahead. It'll only get me more exposure as a sex fiend," Hiro said with a smirk.

"Hmm? Sex fiend? Do tell, Hiro-kun!" Alex enthused.

"Anyway, I gotta call Ayaka and wish her a happy birthday."

"Who's Ayaka?" Alex asked, his nostrils flaring.

"Down, boy, she's Hiro's ex," Stacy said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, really? Wish her a happy birthday from me too, then!" Alex said.

"Man, Alex, you're unreal," Hiro muttered as he walked away from the group.

"Wanna know what's unreal? How big my anaconda is, now _that's _unreal!" Alex shouted at Hiro's retreating form, oblivious to the gawks he received from the group around him.

Stacy punched Alex in the arm a few seconds later.

"You know I love it when you're violent, too, Stacy-kins," Alex smiled, licking his lips.

"Don't you _dare!_"

"How can I not when everything is being laid right in front of my eyes?" Alex replied, cheekily grinning at her.

Stacy flushed as she crossed her arms in front of her thigh-length emerald green dress. It didn't help much that the dress had a low v-neckline. It hugged her petite form in all the right places. It contrasted greatly with her flaming red hair and complimented her light green eyes. Her fair skin was highlighted a milky smooth complexion.

"Mm, I completely agree with Alex," Ma-kun said, his eyes roving over Stacy's luscious form.

"Damn you guys for being a bunch of perverts!"

"Hey, I'm not a pervert!"

"With the exception of Suguru, of course," Stacy said, casting a quick glance towards the keyboardist.

"Thank you," Suguru said, smiling.

"Well, Suguru, you blow. I mean, this tour you and Ken have set up _blows_! I say we trash the rest of this so-called "tour" and make way into one of the Strip's many night clubs!" Ma-kun said enthusiastically.

"Now that I'm beginning to really think about it, I agree with Ma-kun," Ken said.

"Yeah! Stacy can show us all of her hot spots--"

_Whack._

"I meant all of the places that you deem hot, Stacy, shit!"

_Whack._

By this point, Alex was behind Ma-kun, whimpering. Suguru shook his head, thinking that Alex only got by with his Mediterranean looks and not-so subtle charm. So the group ended up bar-hopping up and down the streets, sometimes being mobbed by fan girls that recognized them. At one point, they bolted out of a club and down the street into another club just to avoid the fans from a popular Japanese-themed night club. This particular group of Japanese men dressed to kill, literally. They somehow ended up wearing identical black suits and jewel-toned button-ups that weren't really buttoned. With Ken's maturity, Suguru's cool demeanor, Alex's chiseled looks and Ma-kun's charisma, they attracted followers up and down the roads wherever they walked.

"Easy picks tonight, fellas," Ma-kun said, tossing a seductive glance at a buxom blonde. She smiled at him and did a "come hither" glance with her sky blue eyes.

"This is where we should go next," Ma-kun said, not really giving the others a choice seeing as how he was dragging the group towards the blonde and towards their eleventh club of the night.

-----

"Would you like some company?"

Yuki looked up from his beer and into the eyes of a _very_ gorgeous woman. She had ample curves and curly black hair. She flashed her pearly whites at him and took another step closer. What she wore left little to the imagination, but Yuki could appreciate a woman's body from an artist's stand point.

"Sure."

A few of the women who were huddling together threw vicious looks in the woman's direction. She nonchalantly shrugged it off as she slid into the tall bar stool next to Yuki.

"Milea's the name. Yours?"

"Eiri," Yuki said with a little laugh, realizing that he's telling the truth for once.

"Hmm, Japanese, eh? Wouldn't have pegged you for one, what with your blond hair and amber eyes," she said, giving Yuki an appraising glance.

"Hn. I get that shit all the time," Yuki said with a smirk.

"I bet you do. Cranberry and vodka, please," Milea responded when the bartender asked what she wanted to drink.

"Simple tastes," Yuki remarked.

"Coz I'm a simple gal."

"Hn."

They sat at the bar a little longer, each actually enjoying the silence between them. Unfortunately, that gave Yuki more time to think about Shuichi. Yuki missed the first concert, but shrugged it off when he thought about the other twenty-seven concerts he had a chance to catch. And watch. Not just Shuichi. But Taki Aizawa of ASK. In his alcohol induced state, Yuki let the images flash before his eyes of Shuichi and Taki together and actually got _riled up_. Yuki held onto the frosty mug with both hands, gripping it tight.

Milea peered to her left, watching the veins on his hands bulge. The flat screen televisions hanging around various places in the bar was suddenly splashed with loud music and fast-moving graphics. Yuki tried to forget about Shuichi momentarily so that he could enjoy one of the few things in his life, but that damned brat's voice kept assaulting him from all directions. And that's when he heard it loud and clear.

Shuichi's voice.

Yuki quickly looked up, glancing all around him. Unbeknownst to him, his heart began to quicken as his eyes were riveted on the television in front of him. It showed snippets of Bad Luck and ASK's concerts and their interview from some television show. Through the cacophony, Yuki easily tuned out the environment around him and focused on Shuichi's voice.

'_My god. Shuichi looks … like a totally different person. It's not just the clothes that he wears on his back but it's … I can't seem to put my finger on it just yet. It seems that I was right all along, that you're much better off without me in your life. When I try and find the words to tell you, Shuichi, they come out all wrong. I still can't get my head wrapped around the fact that _you_ left _me._"_

Yuki was startled out of his thoughts when he felt a warm hand on his. He was about to yell at Milea to get her hands off of him, but when he turned to face her, he was met with a sympathetic look.

"What?" Yuki asked dully, bringing the mug to his lips for a long drink.

"Nothing."

"Don't fucking nothing me. What do you want from me?"

"Get your head out of your ass, Eiri. You're hot, yes, beyond gorgeous, yes, but are you always this callous? I might not know shit about you, but who the _fuck_ do you think you are with that high-and-mighty attitude of yours? Excuse me for actually being a little concerned when you zoned out," Milea said, her voice even as her honey orbs bored into Yuki's.

All Yuki could do was bring both of his hands up to his face, rubbing the sides of his head. It wasn't often that he ran into a strong and assertive woman with a mouth like that.

"Now, I know for a fact that you like the singer that was flashing all over the place a minute ago. Don't give me that look. Woman's intuition. Would you like to talk about it?"

Yuki gave her a contemplative glance and threw back his head, laughing. After he finished, he signaled to the bartender for another beer.

"Ah, damn, are you one of those quacks or some shit? You have some balls for a woman to go into territory you don't know shit about," Yuki said as he finished off his beer and grabbed the fresh mug the bartender handed to him.

"I have plenty and unfortunately not the right ones to get you in my bed tonight," Milea said, her eyes warming up.

"Never say never, right? What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," Yuki said.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! But really, if you want to talk about it, I won't charge you by the hour," Milea said, finishing her drink.

"Hn. Just to let you know, I could buy you over a thousand times easily," Yuki said with a smirk.

That remark earned him a smack to the face. The shock on Yuki's face said it all.

"I hope you weren't implying that I'm a hooker because that's _not_ the case. I do happen to be a therapist, asshole. I retract my previous offer. Now it's a thousand times the amount of a regular session," Milea said.

"Hn. I apologize," Yuki said, rubbing his right cheek.

"Apology accepted. Now let's go to the Rainforest Floor and do some therapeutic ass shaking!"

Yuki tossed a couple of hundred dollar bills on the bar and thanked the bartender. For some strange reason, Yuki felt himself following Milea. He shook his head as he thought how scary she was with her mood swings and tough demeanor. Well, something, just anything, would do for Yuki right now to get Shuichi out of his head. He almost ran into a group of women who had their tops pulled low to expose their … signed cleavages? What the hell? They were babbling and shrieking on and on about a duo of hot rock musicians. Good gods. What's going to happen next in this God-forsaken city?

-----

"Ah, that was _great_! I'm stuffed!"

"Yeah, I have to agree."

"Although I'm feeling a little sick now."

"Damn, no one told you to eat half of that strawberry shortcake."

"Hey, when I get my cravings, I _gotta_ satisfy them."

"You sure you're not pregnant?"

"Fuck you."

"Maybe later. But right now, on with our bet!"

With that, Shuichi and Taki exited from the Star Lounge and Grill and headed towards the casino. They passed by a bar with a lot of flat screen televisions and Shuichi stopped when he saw their television ad come on, lighting up the inside of the Blue Bar. Taki stopped alongside Shuichi and watched the ad with interest. A few women stumbled out of the open double glass doors and into Shuichi and Taki. Being the gentlemen they are, they caught a couple of the ladies in their arms and stood them up straight.

"You look familiar," one red-head said, squinting her eyes at the two men before her.

"Mm, Ashley, those guys are on TV! Are ya'll famous rock stars?"

"Oh my God! No way!"

"Sign me, please!"

"I don't have a piece of paper on me, ladies," Shuichi said, splaying his hands in apology.

"And I don't have a pen," Taki said, shrugging.

One of the women fumbled around in her clutch and held up a black permanent marker triumphantly. Who exactly knows why _that_ particular item was in her clutch.

"So … what are we supposed to sign on?" Taki asked.

The three women converged upon Shuichi and Taki at once, pulling their tops low to expose the soft mounds of their cleavage. Shuichi and Taki looked at each other and sighed. Three signings a piece on one side of each breast later, Shuichi and Taki were finally on their way to the casino.

**-----**

"He he he … That tickles … won't you stop that and come to me already?" a voice thick with alcohol and lust pleaded.

"Not yet. I still have to get you … _prepared_ for the finale. Don't want you to come too soon," a voice cooed back.

Alex was tied to the bed, each arm and leg tied to the nearest post. He was completely naked and his lithe olive body convulsed with excitement and lust. He bit down on his lower lip as he felt a soft caress on his inner thigh, lightly brushing his erection. Alex whimpered, trying to fight against the restraints so that he could assault his lover.

"Keep struggling _just_ like that. I find it _very_ arousing," a voice said with a lilt of a smirk.

"Gods, I didn't know you were capable of such torture!" Alex said, panting as he felt hot breath near his erection.

"Most people would find it very surprising that I have this side to me," the voice said, teasing Alex into a frenzy with a quick flick of the tongue on his head.

Alex squirmed and moaned, the silk ties that held him bound him captive to the bed.

"How--how much longer are you--ah, unhh--gonna hold out on me!" Alex asked wildly.

"Hmm. Just until my partner arrives."

"P-partner! You're gonna … take turns … riding me?" Alex let his head drop back down blissfully onto the pillow.

"Perhaps. Now be a good boy and don't fuss while I slip this on you."

It was dark in the room, but Alex could make out the silhouette of his lover. Then his world turned black as Suguru slipped an eye mask over his face. He then took another silk tie and gagged Alex. Suguru slid off the bed and went to "fetch" his "partner". Suguru snickered as he left Alex writhing and moaning on the bed.

His partner rapped lightly on Bad Luck's hotel door. Suguru opened it wide, ushering his partner in quickly. In his partner's grasp was another individual in a khaki trench coat and completely naked underneath, hands bound behind his back, mouth stuffed with a silk tie, eyes blinded by an eye mask and an MP3 player blasting full volume into his ears so that he couldn't hear anything.

"Alex," Suguru sang.

"Mmph mmph?"

"My partner's here. My partner was nice enough to bring along another toy," Suguru said coyly.

"Mmph mmph mmmmph!" Alex responded, his erection getting harder at the thought of an orgy.

"So, Alex, now that I'm here, what exactly do you want me to do to you?" Suguru's partner's voice rang out.

"Mmph! Mmph outh chhachy?"

Suguru's partner moved the other individual onto the bed and pushed him flat on his stomach. Alex tried his best to move around and accommodate this new figure that joined him on the bed. He began to curse Suguru inwardly for covering his eyes. He wanted to see who the hell he was going to fuck tonight! Alex had waited patiently for months to get to where he was now. But still, Alex couldn't help but anticipate Suguru's new partner. He moaned as he felt a knee graze him lightly on his inner thigh.

Suguru and his partner stretched out the individual in a spread eagle fashion right on top of Alex. They then proceeded to tie Ma-kun's arms and legs to the same bed posts that held Alex. As soon as Ma-kun felt an erection on his taut stomach, he began to thrash about wildly. Alex, feeling Ma-kun's erection rubbing against him, began to thrust his hips upward. Suguru and his partner had to stifle their laughter at the scene.

Suguru went to the bed and took out the earphones that had Ma-kun deaf for a while. He then removed their gags and eye masks simultaneously. Absolute horror crept into Ma-kun's wide eyes and Alex drank in the sight, smell and feel of Ma-kun on top of him.

"Oh my fucking god! Stacy! This shit isn't funny! Get me off, now!"

"Are you that drunk, Ma-kun? The name's Alex. I find the situation quite erotic. I would get you off but … I sort of have my hands tied and my mouth can't reach you just yet," Alex said.

That got Ma-kun wailing and fighting the bindings on his arms and legs. It was no use. Suguru made sure to tie it on _tight_. Ma-kun and Alex stopped their "interaction" and looked to the source of laughter. If it were possible, Alex's erection got _harder_ at the sight of Stacy in a black leather bustier, black silk thongs and black knee high boots. In her hands was … Ma-kun's eyes widened as he recognized the item in Stacy's hand. She looked down at the whip in her hands and evilly smiled at Ma-kun. That was the "item" in Stacy's hand at the airport that Ma-kun brought attention to. Oh shit.

Ma-kun began to panic and thrashed about the bed once again. This only further aroused Alex and caused Suguru to laugh. Ma-kun couldn't _believe_ the situation he was in. After the fifteenth bar, they stumbled into their hotel around four a.m. Ma-kun didn't remember how they hell they had managed that, but he remembered so clearly how Stacy had given him "that look". Ma-kun immediately took Stacy into their hotel suite and was surprised at how the petite translator just … attacked him. This turned him on so much that he wasn't paying attention to what Stacy was doing to him … as long as he felt himself being rubbed and fondled by Stacy, he didn't _give_ a damn! And now? Now he's finding his straight-as-an-arrow-pussy-loving ass _on top of another man_!

To make matters worse, Stacy sauntered seductively slow in her mile-high boots, making her hips sway from side to side and her full breasts bounce lightly. She placed one knee on the bed as she leaned forward. With a flick of her wrist, she placed the eye masks back over Ma-kun and Alex. They both groaned, and not for the same reasons.

"I know you're enjoying this, Alex, but I do plan to make it torturous for you by having Suguru slowly enjoy me. You get front row seats to _my _little concert," Stacy whispered as she dragged a nail down the side of Alex's face.

"I'm so sorry, Stacy! I swear, please, let me watch! Just one lick, anything, Stacy! Do you know how long I've _waited_ to see this!" Alex pleaded and begged, but Stacy threw her head back and laughed.

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it, Ma-kun? Alex? I told you I was going to make you pay," she said, her voice dangerously low.

-----

Taki just shook his head as he and Shuichi made their way to the payout office to cash their chips in. He couldn't believe it. Somehow, Shuichi ended up winning the most money by their designated deadline. Shuichi couldn't help but smile widely at his good fortune. Taki was thankful that Shuichi didn't gloat about his winning the bet that Taki had made. That would've ruined his mood further.

"Aw, cheer up, Taki! Maybe I'll just let you go do whatever tonight."

Taki raised his eyebrows at this.

"Then again, I do have an obligation to fulfill. I certainly don't want to disappoint you by letting you off the hook so easily," Shuichi said, leading the way to the gilded elevators.

"Hmph. Betcha won't do shit with me tonight," Taki retorted, following Shuichi into the waiting elevator.

"Looking forward to having your ass served by me again? Damn, do you even know when to quit?"

"Do I look like a quitter?"

Shuichi took a moment to think.

"Nope."

"That's what I thought."

"Exactly. So we're going to check out the night club in this hotel," Shuichi said, looking Taki directly in his eyes.

"I don't dance."

"How can you lie straight to my face? What the hell is all that gyrating and shit when you perform on stage?"

"That's just it. It's just performing," Taki said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Bullshit."

"If I prove you wrong, then _you_ have to do whatever I want you to do."

Shuichi took another moment to think.

"Deal."

"You sure? As soon as these elevator doors open, you can't go back on this," Taki said seriously.

"I understand. For God sake's, I'm not a child. I can damn well make my own decisions," Shuichi said with a slight huff.

"I just don't want you to have any regrets, that's all."

"Regrets? What do you mean by--"

'_Ding.'_

The elevator doors slid open to reveal enormous glass doors that looked directly into the two-story night club. Strobe lights of every color flashed brilliantly over the crowds. Ladies and gentlemen that were dressed to impressed and dressed to leave little to the imagination were everywhere. As Shuichi and Taki made their way to stand in line, they received more than their fair share of glances and appraisals. Shuichi grinned cheekily at Taki and slipped his ID out of his back pocket.

After several minutes of waiting in line patiently, Shuichi and Taki finally got through the checkpoint. They were carded, patted down, paid the cashier and had a bright yellow paper bracelet around their wrist for a night full of promising fun. Well, as fun as could be for Shuichi anyhow. They made their way to the main bar on the second-level. The room was washed in an ethereal soft blue light and a twinkling ceiling full of artificial stars. All along the walls were plush white booths that were preoccupied by dozens of people.

"What can I get you, hotness?" a cute blonde asked, leaning over the bar to emphasize her chest.

"Blowjob for me. And him," Shuichi pointed to Taki, who had his back to the bar, taking in the chaotic scene.

She smiled, leaving him to make their shots. She came back a few minutes later with four shots glasses full of layered liquids.

"Sorry, doll, I only asked for two," Shuichi said, leaning over the bar.

The blonde bartender winked at him and said, "I know. Come back to see me sometimes."

Shuichi gave her one of his smoldering looks and she almost collided with a co-worker. He handed her a fifty dollar bill and told her to keep the change. She smiled again and blew him a kiss as she hustled to make another round of drinks for the crowd clustered around the bar. Shuichi lightly tapped Taki on the shoulder and pointed at the shots.

"What's that?"

"Blowjobs."

"Really."

"Not kidding. They taste like chocolate cake going down your throat."

"Hn."

Taki advanced to the closest shot glass to him but his hand was promptly pulled away. He glanced at Shuichi, a little startled at the sudden warm contact. Shuichi shook his head and held up a finger. He brought one shot glass to the edge of the bar and signaled to Taki to get up on the bar. Taki shook his head violently and tried to protest, but Shuichi mouthed off something about winning a certain bet tonight and that he _had_ to comply. Taki mumbled something that wasn't caught by Shuichi. He hoisted himself up on the bar, sitting on the edge. Catcalls and whistles were directed toward the handsome Japanese man as his face began to slowly turn red. Shuichi smiled up at him and Taki's heart stopped momentarily. Then Shuichi nudged his legs apart and placed a shot glass between his legs, the little glass almost brushing against Taki's crotch. Taki got a bewildered look on his face as he looked down at what Shuichi was doing. Shuichi only smiled again and mouthed, _"The bet."_ Taki groaned inwardly as he saw Shuichi tuck his arms behind his back and lowered his head towards his crotch.

'_Oh. Fucking. Shit.'_

Taki held his breath as he watched Shuichi inch torturously closer to his crotch. He didn't dare blink, afraid that he'd miss the moment. Taki was held there by curiosity and partly because of the bet. He tried to make Shuichi think otherwise by slightly squirming around on the bar. He found himself and Shuichi surrounded by hordes of women and men, egging on the exotic looking male that had his back bent towards the other enticing man. Shuichi flicked his tongue around the rim of the shot glass and looked up at Taki simultaneously. Take felt something hot and wet brush up unmistakably against his growing arousal. Shuichi smirked and closed his mouth over the shot glass, lifting it up in the air and swallowing the concoction in one gulp. He then let the glass go and caught it with his hands.

Applause and whistles surrounded Shuichi and Taki. Shuichi dipped his head and carelessly tossed his smoldering gaze here and there, marking himself as game. He then set the empty glass on the bar next to Taki's thigh and took a second shot glass between Taki's legs again. The second time was swifter, much to Taki's relief and the crowd's disappointment. Shuichi merely laughed as the crowd around him begged for another scene. With a final shake of his head that meant no, Shuichi looked up into Taki's eyes and softly smiled. With both hands, Shuichi took Taki's hands and helped him off the bar. Taki forced himself to quit shaking and glared at Shuichi. He leaned in close to Shuichi, yelling in his ear,

"Fucking warn me next time! What the fuck was that? Who the fuck are you!" Taki flailed his arms about, his back pressed up against the bar and Shuichi pressed up his front.

"I thought the name of the drink said it all. You know. Blowjob. And I'm Shuichi Shindou, man of many, _many_ extraordinary skills," Shuichi said, pressing against Taki further.

"Your turn," Shuichi whispered in Taki's ear.

Taki's eyes widened.

-----

"Eiri!"

"Hn?"

"Here!"

"What?"

"This!"

"Eh?"

"Take it!"

"What for?"

"It's good."

"Hn. Sure."

"Just. Drink. It."

"No. Damn. Way."

Yuki and Milea looked at each other, not breaking eye contact, even when other random bodies brushed up against them. With a snarl, Yuki grabbed the bright blue drink from her hand and guzzled it in one go. Milea stared at him all the while, her honey eyes wide in amazement. He tossed the cup carelessly on its side on the black lacquered table in front of them. Yuki sat back on the plush white micro suede sofa, sinking into the softness. He threw his head and arms back against the sofa, trying briefly to close his eyes. He felt tired today.

"Nuh-unh, buddy, no nap time. Not on my watch! Let's go dance!"

"How about I sit _here _and watch you dance over _there_?" Yuki asked, pointing his foot towards the dance floor.

Milea laughed and said, "It's for your own safety that you accompany me. Are you dense or are you that full of yourself? I don't know which, but haven't you _registered_ the fact that you're one of the hottest guys here? If I leave you alone for _one second_, these people will be all over you."

"And you care because …"

"I got you first."

"Hn. Nice justification."

"Just calling it how I see it. Anyway, there's another hot guy with pink hair coming down from the second level and he looks like an _absolute_ angel. I've gotta snatch him up before anyone else does!"

Yuki perked up. Milea looked at him curiously and then it hit her.

"Oh yeah, he _does_ look like that guy from TV earlier, huh? Maybe it's the same guy?"

Milea's comment completely flew over Yuki's head as his eyes latched onto the stairs leading up to the second level. His heart began beating a faster rhythm beneath his shirt. What Milea said was true. It _is_ Shuichi. With Taki. Yuki immediately balled his fists and shot up from the sofa. Milea quickly got to her feet and looked again at her proclaimed angel. She had to admit, he really did epitomize the aura of an angel as he descended the steps slowly, delicately. Almost as if he knew the entire audience was there, waiting for his arrival. There was a slightly shorter man to his right side, equally dashing with his sexy lazy eyes and midnight blue hair braided and tossed over his front left shoulder. Forget having one angel! Milea was going to have _three_ to romp around with tonight if she was lucky!

"What. The. Fuck. Is. He. Doing. Here. With. Shuichi!" Yuki slowly seethed.

Milea snapped out of her admiration and looked at Yuki.

"You know him?"

"Ex."

"You know the other guy, too?"

"Fucker."

"Wow. What a small world. So you really are gay?"

"My dick swings both ways, but when I was with him … it was … only him."

"Well, let's start our session now."

"I'm going to drag Shuichi back with me."

"No! You're not in the right frame of mind to do something drastic like that!"

"Drastic? You want to hear drastic? Said Fucker over there had my Ex gang-raped because said Fucker was jealous. Jealousy! So my actions against said Fucker are clearly justified!" Yuki said, leaning in close to Milea, amber eyes narrowed.

"Shit. This might take a while."

"I'm not having one of your "sessions" right now. I'm going to bring him back."

"That's not the way back to his heart, you know. Acting like a Neanderthal. I can tell what sort of relationship you two had just by your actions tonight. So you really are a heartless fucker. Always taking, barely giving. Counting on little treats to keep him around, to keep him coming back to you after you've used him up, burned him," Milea said softly, looking into Yuki's eyes.

Yuki could only swallow the lump that rose in his throat. He felt a headache coming on. He gingerly sat himself back down next to Milea, elbows on his knees and hands to his temples.

"You really are a damn quack."

"The best in my field. Don't undermine me just because I'm a woman and a _hot_ one at that. I have an uncanny knack at reading people."

"Three years. We've been together for three years and he just leaves me. _Him!_ I'm always the one kicking him out. He's always the one coming back with open arms. What's in my heart gets twisted somehow and it … comes out the wrong way. From my mouth, those words come out _wrong_. I'm a famed novelist of "romance" and yet I still managed to fuck it up."

"How long has it been since you've last spoken to him?"

"Three months."

"Would you like a chance to try and mend things? I know that to repair a rift this deep takes time, but baby steps often lead to bigger steps."

Yuki looked up at Milea, who was smiling mischievously at him. He felt a tug at the side of his mouth and graced her with a genuine smile. Milea grabbed at her heart and began swooning. She laughed as Yuki did something out of character. He grabbed her into a hug and held on tight. She felt a wet drop on the side of her neck as she held on tighter to Yuki. He mumbled his thanks into her dark curly hair.

-----

"You act as though you've never taken any shots before!"

"Not like that! Where the hell did you learn that shit?"

"I have friends," Shuichi said with a casual shrug.

"Good for you," Taki said sarcastically.

Shuichi only smiled at him as they descended the stairs. Taki thought it was ridiculous what the people around them were trying to do to get Shuichi to notice them. He had to admit, Shuichi handled the stares, whispers and worship like a pro.

'_Shuichi's really changed. I think I might even be--'_

Taki's thoughts were interrupted as he ran into Shuichi. Just a few more steps down and they would've reached the first level of the club. Taki grabbed Shuichi's shoulders and shook him a bit. Shuichi turned around sideways and cast Taki a troubled look. Taki raised his eyebrows and followed Shuichi's gaze. Ten feet away sat Yuki and some exotic-looking woman and they were--

'_Wait. Yuki? With a woman? In Las Vegas? At the same club? Bad luck did have a way of rearing its ugly head,'_ Taki thought as he held on tighter to Shuichi's shoulders. He felt Shuichi tremble under his hands. He tried not to give Shuichi any pity looks. Taki knew that Shuichi wouldn't take it too well and just might end up directing that negative energy towards _him_. Taki was surprised when Shuichi reached for a hand with his own and leaned in.

"Let's go dance."

"But I don't dance."

"Yeah, and that's not Yuki."

"Alright, alright."

"Thanks, Taki," Shuichi said, tugging Taki behind him as they headed to the center of the dance floor.

It wasn't rare to see same-sex couples out and about, but something about the way these two particular men moved with each other was mind-blowing. Those standing by watching the dancing crowd found their eyes drawn to Shuichi and Taki. They felt the sexual tension that built up between them at an alarming rate. The pink-haired man took the lead and slowly gyrated alone. Taki didn't exactly stand there while Shuichi was dancing. The slight alcoholic buzz and the sexual desire Shuichi sent out in waves got him to move. In one move, Shuichi closed the gap between them and closed his eyes, enjoying the hotness and hardness of Taki's body.

No one even noticed the curly-haired beauty stealthily moving towards the two. When the songs switched up, she shot in between them, breaking them apart. She smiled seductively at Taki and grabbed his hands, dragging him to some dark God-forsaken corner. Taki couldn't shake this dark feline off of him and looked at Shuichi helplessly. Shuichi could only laugh at Taki's predicament. Leave it to him to get snapped up by a total babe. That was when Shuichi felt a presence near him and felt his heart constrict with desire and self-loathing. Only one person could provoke such conflicting emotions within him.

"Yuki."

Just to hear Shuichi mouth his name like that made Yuki rabidly horny. The past three months of loneliness and longing disappeared as he took in Shuichi's form. During the play of Shuichi and Taki's dance, all of the buttons were undone, his blood-red shirt opened, exposing Shuichi's well-toned abs. Shuichi stood planted where he was, his legs slightly apart as he stood in defiance. No way in hell was he going to make the first move. He didn't have to as Yuki came within mere inches of him.

"Brat."

"Asshole."

"Idiot."

"Bastard."

"Punk."

"Rapist."

Yuki's eyes registered shock at Shuichi's last greeting. Shuichi didn't bat an eyelash as he felt the tremors of anger and anguish radiate from Yuki's form. Yuki's eyes narrowed as he lowered his head towards Shuichi.

"You know you liked it, fuck hole."

"Ex-fuck hole to you, _Yuki_. I don't recall liking our "first time" all that much."

"Liar."

Yuki closed the gap between them and grabbed Shuichi, turning him around so that his back was pressed against Yuki's front. Yuki slid both arms around Shuichi's waist and drew him as close as he could. He was glad that Shuichi didn't try to bite his arms off and run after Taki. Yuki breathed slowly in Shuichi's ear and sucked lightly on an earlobe. Much to Shuichi's dismay, his body reacted in Yuki's favor. A slight moan escaped from his lips as Yuki expertly moved his body to Shuichi's.

Shuichi slid a hand into Yuki's hair and held onto the soft locks tightly. He gently tugged at Yuki's hair and slowly gyrated, his ass causing major friction to Yuki's genital area. This wasn't where Shuichi wanted to meet Yuki. He didn't want to see him again until his tour was over and done with, when he had some time to think about their situation. Shuichi didn't know for sure if he wanted to go back to Yuki or if he should strike out on his own for good. He was driven to focus on his tour and his band mates, but now that Yuki was here, teasing him and making him rise again …

"Get away from me."

"How can I when you won't let me go?"

Shuichi balled his fists and broke out of Yuki's grasp. He took a few steps forward and looked around, trying to locate Taki and _leave_. He didn't want to fall into whatever trap that Yuki might've set up to snare him again into that negative cycle of a hole he called a relationship with Yuki. He didn't need this added distraction. Shuichi failed to locate Taki and felt Yuki near him again.

"What?"

"I just want to talk, Shuichi."

"Why now?"

"Please."

Shuichi couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Yuki just … beg? Oh, this was absolutely priceless. Yuki wasn't exactly throwing himself at Shuichi's feet, prostrating himself and asking Shuichi for forgiveness. But this was as close as Shuichi was going to get. Shuichi cocked his head to the side, staring at Yuki. Yuki held his gaze and finally looked away. Shuichi smiled.

"Not here. Somewhere else where I can hear you properly."

The expression in Yuki's eyes was unreadable.

-----

Shuichi's breath hitched in his throat. Instead of a moan, Shuichi warbled out something incoherent as he felt his throbbing member engulfed by Yuki's mouth. He forced his eyes closed. He didn't want to see Yuki's blond halo moving up and down his shaft. He didn't want to meet those seductive amber orbs that ate him up hungrily. Yuki kept Shuichi's legs in place while he gave him his 'Special Mouth Job'.

Shuichi mentally withdrew from the situation and mentally berated himself.

'_Oh yeah, Shu, great. Fucking GREAT! How the hell did I end up here, doing _this_ with that bastard?'_

Yuki coaxed Shuichi none too gently out of his mental retreat as he deep-throated Shuichi.

"Ohh, fuuuuuck," Shuichi gasped, his hands automatically grabbing at Yuki's hair and pulling him in closer.

Yuki only complied. He felt Shuichi's cock rub the back of his throat raw as he hummed and moaned, causing vibrations to hit Shuichi to the core.

"S-stop or else …"

Yuki replied the best way he knew how. He began sucking Shuichi faster.

Shuichi felt himself tighten up and explode. He breathed quickly and thrust himself further into Yuki's mouth, releasing months of sexual frustration. Shuichi laid out exhausted on the bed and felt the bed shift. Shuichi turned his head away from Yuki. Yuki laid on his side, an arm propping his head up. Yuki reached out, touching Shuichi's face.

"Look at me, Shuichi."

Shuichi didn't move a muscle. He felt Yuki's fingers gently grasp his chin. Shuichi allowed Yuki this little pleasure of obedience (among other things). He stared at Yuki's elbow instead of his face. He couldn't face him directly. Yuki felt a smirk tug at the corner of his mouth.

"Shuichi."

"Shuichi."

Yuki said his name so softly that last time. Shuichi finally gathered his courage and looked at Yuki. The tugging smirk grew into a beautiful smile that surprised Shuichi. Yuki leaned in to capture Shuichi's lips with his own. He gently licked and sucked at Shuichi's bottom lip until Shuichi kissed back with a growing passion. Shuichi suddenly launched himself at Yuki, quickly moving himself to straddle the blond. Yuki grabbed Shuichi's face and gently pulled him towards him. With that second kiss Yuki finally vented his frustration. It was a dark kiss that promised something better than this if only Shuichi dared to take a risk.

Yuki's erection rubbed against Shuichi's stomach, causing the younger man to rise again.

"Just like old times, right?" Yuki purred into his ear as his hands worked Shuichi.

Shuichi didn't have a reply as he felt Yuki's fingers straying to his opening. His eyes flew wide and he moaned as Yuki worked in one finger, then another. Yuki's other hand was still stroking Shuichi's erection, teasing him by switching up the speed. Shuichi locked eyes with Yuki and almost cried. The response he had always hoped for, waited for with unwavering faith was swirling in the lightest hues of honey. Words weren't necessary as Yuki removed his fingers and readied himself.

Shuichi tossed his head back as he felt Yuki's tip penetrate him. Never in his life would he forget how big Yuki is, but to have him after a few months of separation … Shuichi was reintroduced quite intimately to Yuki's other prized organ. Shuichi splayed his fingers on either side of Yuki's head, focusing on breathing in and out with Yuki's gentle thrusts. When the rhythm of their bodies were synchronized, Shuichi nodded. Yuki complied by picking up the pace, thrusting just a little bit harder, a little bit deeper, a little bit faster.

Shuichi moaned with sheer pleasure as he accommodated Yuki. He tightened up as he felt Yuki pull out of him. Yuki grunted and buried himself to the hilt. Shuichi sang a beautiful song just for Yuki that night. To show his gratitude at such a rare gift, Yuki grabbed Shuichi by the waist and arched his back off the bed. He slammed into Shuichi over and over again, eliciting higher and sweeter notes from his ex-lover. Yuki took in the sight of Shuichi gladly, admiring the way his body had put on more muscle, how more defined his stomach, ass and legs were. Yuki tried to keep Shuichi in his sight as he felt wave after wave of electrifying pleasure course throughout his body. Shuichi panted and looked at Yuki with half-lidded glazed eyes.

"Y..uu…ki," Shuichi said throatily, barely above a whisper.

At that moment, Shuichi clenched down on him as Yuki roared his release with a final thrust. Shuichi belted out the sweetest note of the night as he felt his second release all over him and Yuki. Shuichi immediately collapsed on top of Yuki, his heartbeat racing against Yuki's own quickened pulse. Shuichi rested his head in the crook of Yuki's neck, breathing heavily. Yuki remained where he was, not wanting to dispel this little moment, knowing that it could quickly go up in smoke any second with this newer version of Shuichi. Yuki smirked.

'_But he's still the same Shuichi in bed.'_

"Don't think that just because I let you have me that we're on again."

"Friends with benefits, then?"

"How about acquaintances?"

Yuki propped himself up on his elbows and tried to keep his voice in check.

"What the hell!" Yuki yelled in response, sitting up alongside Shuichi.

"I said I'm not coming back to you. Not until this tour is over and I've explored … other options," Shuichi said seriously, looking Yuki deadpan in the eyes.

"You mean with that bastard Aizawa?" Yuki said with a scoff.

"Damn, Yuki, what's it to you? Can't you respect the fact that I want some _space_?"

"Since when, Shuichi? All these years I've known you you've been coming after me with a tenacity unrivaled by the utmost fan girl! Now that I'm showing you signs, _fucking telling you_ that I want you back, you're just going to brush me off!"

Yuki huffed as he caught his breath from his sudden outburst. His eyes widened at his own confession. He looked sideways at Shuichi, who rested his chin on his chest. Yuki wasn't sure if his shoulders heaving up and down meant that he was crying out of happiness or, God forbid, if he thought the reversed situation hilarious.

"Th-that's right," Shuichi said, smiling at Yuki.

"I'd appreciate it if you kept your distance while … what exactly are you doing in America?"

"My editor booked me on a four-month tour to promote a series of my translated books. Apparently, I've got the American niche in my pocket," Yuki said with a sigh, running a hand through his messy locks.

"Hmm. What a coincidence," Shuichi said thoughtfully to himself. "The sex was great, as always. Thanks for that. But I gotta go now. Stuff to do, people to meet, bets to fulfill."

Shuichi slid his naked body off the bed and padded to the bathroom. Yuki sat there, trying to digest the last fifteen minutes of their conversation. Where did this bolder Shuichi come from? Where along their three years together had he gotten so … _mature_? Yuki had always tried his best to show Shuichi that he cared … in his own way, of course. Though he might not be the romantic hero from his novels, Shuichi knew about his past and his troubles. He then began wondering if Shuichi was there for him because he felt _obligated_ to. Yuki immediately shoved that thought out of his head as Shuichi emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He dried off and began hunting his clothes down, which were previously thrown about in their heated foreplay earlier. Shuichi walked over to Yuki, who was still sitting on the bed, watching Shuichi's every move. Shuichi gave Yuki another smile as he bent down and gave him a chaste kiss. As he moved to straighten up, Yuki caught Shuichi's hand and yanked him forward, causing him to tumble on top of Yuki. Yuki held Shuichi's face with both hands and gave him a hungry kiss. Moments later they parted, a little out of breath. Yuki brought their foreheads together and whispered,

"Think about it, Shuichi. Please."

Shuichi smiled gingerly as he disentangled himself from Yuki. He grabbed his jacket from the floor and headed out of Yuki's bedroom. Yuki finally shook himself from his daze (he found himself to be in this state often since coming to America) and followed Shuichi to the door. He moved his naked body to the mini-bar and pulled out a beer, pulled the tab open and watched Shuichi out of the corner of his eyes. Shuichi opened the door and didn't glance back, knowing full well that he was being watched.

Without a fight, he let Shuichi walk out of his life again.

**-----**

**A/N: **Oh. My. Goodness. This has to be the longest chapter I've ever written. And I didn't even include the rest of the night or the concert (. Tell me if it put you to sleep, or if it made you mad coz Taki's in there. Lemme know something, folks!

Oh, and a Blowjob is a real shot. It's good. Tastes just like chocolate cake. Author has had plenty . And how Shuichi took the shot is exactly how you're 'sposed to take it. For those who can legally consume this stuffs ... ask for it. Ya might like it heh heh heh .

Well, here's a preview of what's supposed to happen: Taki's won the bet and is waiting patiently for Shuichi to come back and fulfill his promise to the bet. Their final concert has a surprise. Shuichi has another "option" to explore. Yuki goes off and does his tour but tries everything in his power to have "coincidental" run ins with Shuichi and crew. Where's Michael in all this?

Thanks so much for taking the time out to read. Comments and or whatever else you'd like to leave will be highly appreciated.

Also, I want to thanks those who've reviewed regularly. Every single chapter goes out to you guys! huggles

Ja!


	9. Tremble

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Taki, Shu X Yuki, Shu X ?

**Rating:** MA+

**Warning: **… Fanservice and Some Curse Words and Some Such Nonsense …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews!

-----

Chapter Nine

"Tremble"

-----

"Do I even want to know where you ran off to? I did win the bet, you know."

"Shut up."

"Sure, I got dragged by that hot babe into some dark, hot corner and --"

"Damn it, Taki, knock it off already."

"What? Jealous?"

Shuichi snapped his head up and leveled a glare at Taki, who was sitting on _his_ sofa in _his_ personal suite. He stalked over to Taki and ungracefully plopped himself on the sofa, facing Taki. Shuichi placed his face so close to Taki's that their lips were a hair's breadth away.

"Want to repeat that?" Shuichi said softly, his lips brushing against Taki's own.

"Are. You. Jealous?" Taki replied, slowly forming the words, making sure that during the word jealous, his tongue darted in Shuichi's mouth.

"Maybe. Maybe not. What does it mean to you?"

"This."

Taki moved his hands to cradle Shuichi's face and deepened the teasing kisses. He opened his mouth a bit more and brushed the tip of his tongue against Shuichi's lower lip. Shuichi found himself responding to Taki's kiss and opened his mouth a bit more. They never took their eyes from each other as Shuichi deepened the kiss, fully assaulting Taki's mouth with his tongue.

"I'm to understand that I'm yours tonight, yes?" Shuichi asked as he pulled away gently.

"Only if you're sure."

"But you won the bet in the end. So what you say goes."

"That's true, too."

"Well then, what is your command, oh sexy bet winner?"

"Wh --? Sexy?" Taki stuttered, staring at Shuichi cheesing at him.

"Yes. Even though you're an asshole, you're still sexy," Shuichi said almost nonchalantly.

Without warning, Taki grabbed Shuichi by the shoulders and leaned in for a fierce kiss. Shuichi tensed momentarily before he dropped his guard and leaned back into the sofa. He found himself pulling Taki on top of him, his arms wrapped tight around Taki's lithe waist. Taki moaned at such close contact and spread his legs, planting each one on either side of Shuichi. They broke apart and rested their foreheads together.

"God damn it, Shuichi," Taki breathed in Shuichi's ear.

"Yes?"

"Don't keep saying yes. You might regret it."

"Why do you keep harping on about regretting this, or regretting that?" Shuichi asked softly.

"Because … damn it …"

"Because of what you did three years ago, right?"

"I -- I'm so ashamed. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve your forgiveness," Taki said, pulling away from Shuichi.

"We all make mistakes. I've learned that if you keep holding onto the past, you'll only live in the past. You won't live for today. You won't live for tomorrow. I've come to terms with it. Obviously, you haven't forgiven _yourself_. If you can't forgive yourself, Taki, I don't think I can handle another relationship like the previous one," Shuichi said, holding Taki in place firmly.

"Fuck."

"Hmm? Is that your request tonight or …"

"No, Shuichi, you're right. I don't feel … sufficient enough to go after you. Until I've somehow apologized to myself, I can't take this further," Taki said softly, resting his head in the crook of Shuichi's neck.

"Well then, that answers _that_ question," Shuichi chuckled.

"Come off it. Did you honestly expect me to put out on the first date? I've got more class than that," Taki mumbled.

"Actually, yes," Shuichi said, eliciting a light bite on the neck from Taki.

"Would you mind if we just … held each other?"

"One condition."

"What?" Taki asked.

"I sleep naked, and I expect you to do the same."

"But, but if we --"

"Yes, if it happens, it happens."

"Why am I losing my nerve around you? I should be the one to make you tremble," Taki muttered as he sat up and slid off the sofa.

Shuichi didn't say anything as he watched, fascinated, by Taki's lithe form being slowly revealed, one less garment at a time. Taki blushed as he stalked over to Shuichi's bed, not used to being stared at so intently. He slid under the covers and beckoned for Shuichi to do the same. Shuichi smiled as he chucked his garments to the floor and joined Taki in bed. Taki stiffened as he felt Shuichi's warm skin next to his. Taki laid there as Shuichi molded himself around Taki, heaving one last heavy sigh before closing his eyes.

'_You're wrong, Taki. You _do_ make me tremble … inside … '_

-----

"Guys. This is the last city tour of the Pacific Zone. Not to mention that we've gotten _good_ press along the way just to make you guys nervous. These people, old and new fans alike, are expecting an over-the-top show tonight. So, with that said, gentlemen, do your best!"

Sounds of "Do your best!", "Congratulations!" and "Take care of the fans!" were chorused around the seemingly calm and collected six men in a huddle around K. But the little gestures done with hands, feet and facial expressions belied their calm misdemeanor. They couldn't let the staff down by running around in circles in a sweat, screaming from exaltation from the top of their lungs. That wasn't the image they wished to part on the staff that helped them set up this amazing concert.

"Five minutes!"

The members of ASK and Bad Luck looked at each other and nodded. They broke into their respective groups and took their places on the stage. Bad Luck waited downstairs below the stage, pacing about nervously. They didn't need K to tell them that this was their biggest concert yet to date. They could hear the chanting and the screaming. They could feel the chaos that pulsated from the crowds towards them.

"There's no better place than this, guys," Shuichi said, staring Suguru and Hiro in the eyes.

"Yeah, Shu, right back at you," Hiro said with a thumbs up and a smile.

"All that hard work … coming to this … it's unbelievable," Suguru said. "I feel lucky. How about you guys?"

"Hell yeah!" Hiro screamed.

"Hell _fucking_ yeah!" Shuichi reiterated.

"Five minutes until your duet with ASK," K said, walking up to them with a Cheshire grin gracing his face.

"Trouble's coming," Suguru said, turning away.

"Shuichi. A word, if you will," K said, beckoning him to follow.

Hiro squinted after the two, trying to read their lips. He did, though, notice Shuichi's eyes widen and a very audible, "Are you fucking _kidding_ me!" echo throughout the set. K grabbed Shuichi by the shoulder and spoke to him in low tones. Shuichi shook his head and wildly gesticulated with his arms and hands. Hiro could've sworn that if Shuichi grew wings at that very moment that he'd take off through the top of the stage and disrupt ASK's set.

After another minute of furious yelling tinged with embarrassment, Shuichi sulkily made his way back to Hiro and Suguru. Hiro wasn't used to seeing Shuichi so despondent and it visibly worried him. Hiro placed a hand on Shuichi's shoulders. Shuichi could only nod his head to and fro, mouthing an evident, "Can't say." Suguru glared at K, who in turn, if possible, smiled even wider. Both members got a bad feeling that took root in the pit of their stomachs.

"Places, Bad Luck!"

Shuichi still skulked to his place while Hiro and Suguru followed. The lights above them dimmed and they steadied themselves as they began to rise into the air as three feet hole above each member's head slid open. As they got past the stage level and slowly came to a grinding halt, both bands were blasted with a renewed fervor from the screaming crowds. Shuichi had his head down the whole time, playing time and time again the brief yet life-altering conversation between them. As soon as Suguru struck the first key, Shuichi snapped out of his trance and came out strong. Taki gave him a sideway glance and sang the harmony, unaware of how close Shuichi came to him. Ma-kun and Hiro had their backs together, wailing away on their guitars and making the masses scream.

Taki felt a warm presence pressed against his back, a look of surprise flashed across his features. He felt a hand snake around his waist, drawing him closer. He looked to his left and saw Shuichi's microphone. A low part came and Shuichi throatily crooned into the microphone, licking his lips and looking directly at Taki. He gently thrust his hips against Taki's and felt an automatic response from the other shell-shocked singer, who still managed to sing along perfectly.

Suguru and Hiro looked on in awe and shock and mouthed, "K!" to each other, neither missing a beat. Ma-kun visibly gripped the neck of his guitar tighter as he pushed up his sunglasses and ogled his leader being molested on stage. Shuichi noticed Ma-kun's incredulous look and left Taki, making his way seductively toward Ma-kun. Ma-kun backed up until he couldn't escape the younger vocalist. The Japanese fans began an even higher screaming tirade as they witnessed fan service. Those who didn't understand the concept of fan service began to shake their head, eyes still curious and glued onto the pink-haired vocalist who made all the moves.

Shuichi pulled Ma-kun close to him and began gyrating on his guitar, one hand lightly grabbing the neck of Ma-kun's precious guitar. A break came during the song and Shuichi took the opportunity to lick the expanse of the guitar's neck, sending invisible electric volts to Ma-kun's private parts. His lips parted as a moan escaped at the naughtiness and dirtiness of the situation. This was Ma-kun's first experience at fan service and he reacted with fervor, even though he kept telling himself that he was straight. Shuichi turned around and smiled broadly, throwing his arms wide open to the screaming crowds.

In a flash, Ma-kun turned the tables around and got in front of Shuichi, thrusting into his guitar as his solo came up. Shuichi could only smile and gave Ma-kun a knowing glance, both of their eyes dancing at the upcoming prospect. Shuichi slid a hand behind Ma-kun's head and forced him down on his knees as Ma-kun played his solo. Shuichi thrust his head back and sang throatily as he pressed Ma-kun's face close to his crotch. That action received the loudest screaming to date and both performers reveled in it. Shuichi felt a soft, wet organ pressing against the fabric of his pants and involuntarily moaned into the microphone as he sung.

More screaming ensued as Hiro joined in the fray, getting behind Shuichi. Hiro gripped the neck of his guitar while his other hand grabbed a handful of Shuichi's soft locks. He gently pulled on Shuichi's hair until the vocalist yielded and exposed his creamy neck to the guitarist. Hiro then propped his guitar close to his crotch, holding it in a rather suggestive manner as he bent his head down and lightly licked Shuichi's neck. A guttural purr came out of Shuichi's throat as he was lavished with wetness from both guitarists.

Taki's vocals came on strong as he picked up on his second verse of the song. Ma-kun got up from his kneeling position and grinned devilishly at Shuichi. Hiro let up on his light licking and sucking and continued to play. Shuichi stood there dazed momentarily until he heard another loud ruckus coming from the crowds. Ma-kun and Hiro ganged up on a mortified Taki, who was trying to remain calm and walking away simultaneously from the two guitarists. Shuichi chuckled inwardly at the sight and decided to intervene. He walked past Taki, singing the chorus. Taki nodded briefly but was surprised yet again when he felt himself stumble back into Shuichi's arms.

Shuichi had Taki in a death grip from behind, lightly flicking his tongue over Taki's earlobe and eliciting a low moan among the lyrics of the song. Taki wanted Shuichi to continue, but as the eldest of the group and the one deemed "responsible", he forcefully broke away from Shuichi's grasp and ended the last of the lyrics on his knees, one arm up as if trying to push an invisible force away from him. He hung his head down on his heaving chest as the tempo of the music slowed down and the lights faded.

Taki got up from his kneeling position and felt Shuichi near him. He turned his head slightly to the left and was surprised when a warm pair of lips lightly brushed against his. Before he could react, the lights came on throughout the stadium and they could see the masses of fans. In the front rows a sort of mosh pit had formed and there were tearful fan girls clinging to each other, constantly screaming and yelling. Taki glanced at Shuichi and found the younger vocalist's eyes watching him. With a simultaneous nod, both vocalists sauntered forward to the edge of the stage, got down on their knees and extended their hands to the fans below. There was a mad stampede to the center of the stage as fans tried to climb over one another to touch even the tiniest bit of the vocalists.

The body guards handpicked by K didn't let one fan get even _five feet_ near any of the vocalists. Shuichi grabbed Taki's hand and pulled him away from the edge of the stage. They hustled to the safety of the wings of the stage, meeting up with the rest of their band members. The excitement was uncontainable and spilled forth from the men. K had to shoot at them a few times to get their attention and tapped his watch, motioning for Bad Luck to change their costumes for their next set of songs.

Five minutes later Bad Luck emerged from their dressing room partially dressed and refreshed. They hustled to their original positions underneath the stage and waited, almost impatiently, for their ascent. Within minutes, they were once again on stage. They were folded in the cloak of darkness as they waited for the stage lights to reveal their presence.

"Hello, everyone!"

Shuichi immediately recognized the voice, as did the hundreds of fans.

"Thank you so much for showing my kohai and his band members your love and support so far! So as a favor to me, please watch over them!"

Shuichi didn't know how it was possible, but he felt the speaker grab his hand and squeezed it tightly. The lights blinded the four men on stage but their eyes adjusted after a few seconds. As he had guessed earlier, Ryuichi Sakuma was on stage. Ryuichi Sakuma was holding _his_ hand. Ryuichi Sakuma, his _god_, was cheekily smiling at him but his smoldering eyes held another emotion. Screams of "Ryu!" were echoed throughout the stadium.

"I hope you guys will forgive me for what I'm going to do next. I haven't sung properly for the past three years, so please bear with me as I sing with my kohai!"

Shuichi could only gawk at the words flowing from Ryuichi's mouth. He looked around frantically and found the confused looks on Hiro's and Suguru's faces. They were just as surprised and shocked as he was at Ryuichi's appearance. He glanced quickly at the left wing and saw K giving him a peace sign with his right hand. Shuichi could only growl at his manager's antics and vowed that he'll feel his full appreciation later. Shuichi was kissed out of his thoughts by Ryuichi. As Ryuichi pulled away from the light kiss, Shuichi's ears were assaulted by the screams from the crowd. With his eyes wide, Shuichi could only watch as Ryuichi gave the signal to _his_ band to begin.

Suguru and Hiro glanced at Shuichi and shrugged as they began to play. Still a bit shocked at finding _the_ Ryuichi Sakuma on stage with him, he watched as Ryuichi sang _his_ lyrics to one of the most painful yet beautifully composed songs from their English album. Shuichi saw in his mind the state of his heart as he composed these lyrics and hummed the melody. It was a place that was private to him and him only. Even if he looked up to Ryuichi, even if he was getting every pitch and tone right, even if he sang with a hint of emotion of where Shuichi was coming from with this song; it angered Shuichi.

When the second verse came around, Ryuichi's own voice was drowned out by the sheer anger and frustration of Shuichi's voice. The first verse had the shattered wound of a broken heart and unrequited love, but the second verse retaliated against a weak heart and the anger of letting oneself drown in misery was unforgivable. With the second verse, a different and strong voice was needed to convey the meaning. And that was the voice Shuichi was using with Ryuichi. In an instant, Shuichi turned on Ryuichi and tore his hand away. With Ryuichi's lingering touch still warm on his hand, he used it to gently shove Ryuichi away. With each verse, Shuichi managed to make Ryuichi take a step back, their eyes never leaving each other. Ryuichi could only smirk at Shuichi's hidden retaliation, which made Shuichi more angry, and in turn, produced what Ryuichi had wanted to see all along.

Shuichi's true voice of this time and place, his true feelings.

As Hiro played the last of the melody, the fans erupted. There was no other way to describe the audience's reaction to the duet that took place before their eyes. The chemistry between the two singers was unbelievable. With both of their hearts racing, they turned towards the crowd. Ryuichi immediately grabbed Shuichi's hand.

"Now this is my _true_ kohai! He even puts me to shame!"

Ryuichi turned to face Shuichi and gave him the biggest hug he could manage. Reacting a few seconds later with his own hug, Shuichi's anger dwindled at hearing Ryuichi's words. It was his own way of telling Shuichi that for these past three weeks, he hadn't been giving the fans _all_ of Shuichi Shindou. Now that his pain and raw feelings were laid down at the feet of his fans, he couldn't hide anymore behind this happy façade he created.

"Enjoy the rest of the concert and thank you, Shuichi. I love you."

Ryuichi closed the short distance between them and gave him a short but deep kiss. Shuichi responded by weaving his fingers in Ryuichi's hair and kissing him with equal fervor. Ryuichi broke the kiss and turned back around to the audience, blowing kisses to the hysterical fans, shouting that he loved them, too. Shuichi watched Ryuichi saunter off the stage and gazed at the crowd before him. With reassuring nods from Hiro and Suguru, they finished the rest of the concert with everything they had.

-----

Shuichi was sprawled out on the floor of the Presidential Suite of Bad Luck. Suguru laid on his back on the sofa and Hiro was cuddled next to Shuichi. This was their last night in Las Vegas and tomorrow will find them on the road heading towards the second segment of their tour. It was five-thirty in the morning, even though by the time they retired to their room it was one at the latest. They were still talking about the success of their last show of the first segment and, of course, the kiss shared with Ryuichi Sakuma. Shuichi got butterflies in his stomach every time he closed his eyes and smelled the scent that lightly clung to Ryuichi.

"I knew K was scheming something earlier with that smile of his," Suguru said.

"Who knew that our straight-laced manager would get a kick out of fan service?" Hiro said with a smile.

"Why were you sulking the entire time up to our performance after K asked you to do that? I mean, by the way you were servicing onstage, I would've never seen you behave so … dejectedly," Suguru said.

"This fan service thing is a first for me. I guess I was just shocked at what K asked me, no, wait a minute, what K _commanded_ me to do. I'm not like Ryuichi where only my true personality shines through onstage or camera … I love every aspect of my career and I think it shows through the everydays of my life, too. So performing comes naturally to me, fan servicing or no, I take it all in stride," Shuichi said with a content voice.

"Speaking of Sakuma, what did you think he meant with that kiss? Where the hell did he come from anyway?" Suguru mused out loud.

"I don't know," Shuichi said after a few moments.

"But you had to admit, he kicked up the concert a bit," Hiro said, an arm draped lazily over Shuichi's torso.

"That he did. It's just … when he sang that song, it didn't matter how perfect he sounded, it just felt like he was treading in a place that he doesn't know jack about … I admit, I got angry there for a moment," Shuichi said, sounding almost embarrassed.

"That Sakuma. You never know what he's thinking or what he wants. He might have unconventional methods of achieving them, but the man gets what he wants, that's for sure," Suguru said.

A silence hung over the members of Bad Luck before Hiro cleared his throat.

"Speaking of what one wants, who do _you_ want, Shuichi?"

"WHAT?"

"I mean, you have choices right now. Between Taki always staring at you, Yuki now trying to _actively_ pursue you, and Ryuichi's declaration of love …"

"First off, Taki and I have a _difficult_ and _tangled_ history together. I really can't sort out my feelings for that man right now. I should hate him for what he did to me, but then again, I understand that drive and ambition and passion that he has. It was just sort of … misdirected."

Suguru could only snort, which earned him a glare from Shuichi.

"I can tell that he regrets it, though. He punishes himself everyday for it. Yuki, on the other hand, is just as confusing. As soon as I stopped my affections for him, it drove him mad knowing that I walked out on him. But how would I know that this isn't some sort of cycle that'll be repeated? Ryuichi is … Ryuichi. He tells me that he loves me all the time. So I'm not sure if Ryuichi qualifies as a love interest."

"Hm. And Suguru."

"Yes?"

"What's going on with you and Stacy?" Hiro asked slyly.

Suguru immediately bolted up from his position and threw a pillow at Hiro.

"How the hell do you know about Stacy and me!"

"Oh, well, it's just that a certain blond-haired guitarist spilled the beans on you two," Hiro said with a smirk and proceeded to throw the pillow back to its original owner.

Suguru caught it with a grunt and laid down, hugging the pillow.

"So are we going to hear anything about the two of you?" Shuichi asked.

"I guess, but really though, we need to get our sleep. It's already six in the morning," Suguru said, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Mmm, I agree. That sounds great right about now," Hiro replied drowsily.

"See you guys in the morning, afternoon, whatever," Shuichi mumbled and snuggled into Hiro.

"G'night, guys," Suguru said.

-----

**A/N: **Whew. Talk about a major case of writer's block! I really do apologize for my lateness. I just had a lot on my plate.

Erm, and as for Shu's anger toward Ryu, please do not berate me! I hope everything was explained properly in the story. And if not, then I apologize once again for the lack of clarity in my work.

:sobs:

But thank you in advance for hanging in here with me as I tried to kill my brain cells with this fic, work, drama and this thing called life. Huggles for everyone! Please continue to give me your support!

Kyah. At this point, I don't have a preview for the next chapter. Sorry. But I hope that everyone who read this enjoyed it!

Ja!


	10. Reality

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shu X Taki, Shu X Yuki, Shu X Hiro

**Rating:** MA+

**Warning: **… Some Curse Words and Straight Lemon and Some Such Nonsense …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews!

This chapter will be relatively short because I feel bad for having such a long wait for the next installment. So this is to tide some of you over until then. Excuse me for any weirdness in advance. Enjoy the smutfest. It exists just … to exist. And because I love my reviewers!

-----

Chapter Ten

"Reality"

-----

Needless to say, everyone felt the after effects of their most successful concert to date. It was so much so that K, their loving and happy gun-toting manager, barely used a round on Bad Luck and ASK as they made their way north for the second part of their tour.

All six members were dead tired and were shot awake into a zombie state. Both bands crept away stealthily in the early morning and were well on their way to Boise, Idaho. Shuichi had no idea where that was and could care less because _he_ wasn't the one driving. Besides, Shuichi wouldn't be able to focus if his life depended on it.

The events of the last night in Las Vegas stewed around in Shuichi's head. He felt his body sway with the rhythm of the bus. Shuichi tossed and turned on his rumpled bed; evidence of sleep yet to be found. There were numerous questions floating around in his mind, alongside flashes of naughty bits and pieces of a cold-hearted blond, a bubbly brown-haired singer and a dark-headed moody crooner. Between his emotions and frustrations, he did the one thing that would calm him. With no particular face in mind, Shuichi began to stroke the half-hardened length of his cock.

He felt his flesh respond with a hungriness and realized that it'd been months since his last sexual foray. Shuichi stifled a moan as he felt himself harden. He was so lost in the play of his body that he didn't feel a pair of eyes locked on him and his slow-paced strokes. Shuichi let a guttural moan escape from his parted lips. His eyes flew open as he felt a wet tongue on his cock. Before him perched Hiro, his eyes languid with desire. Shuichi could only watch in fascination and repulsion as his best friend lowered his head.

"W-wrong. This is wrong, Hiro," Shuichi forced through his lips.

"You say one thing, your body says another," Hiro mumbled, his mouth half full with Shuichi's cock.

Hiro moved with efficiency, which surprised Shuichi. He knew Hiro was straight as an arrow, although he'd occasionally display some "loving" tendencies toward Shuichi.

"Think of it as a favor … for a friend," Hiro said, deep-throating without warning.

"Oh, fuck," Shuichi hissed.

His hands automatically gripped Hiro's head as he plunged his cock further into Hiro's mouth. Hiro obliged, sucking and licking Shuichi to the edge. A few minutes later Shuichi tensed and grunted, coming in Hiro's mouth. Without a sound, Hiro took off his t-shirt and cleaned Shuichi. He then climbed into bed next to Shuichi, who had rolled onto his side.

"Thanks, Hiro," Shuichi said drowsily.

"You're welcome, but I'm calling in my favor now," Hiro whispered, rubbing his hard cock against Shuichi's ass.

Shuichi felt a flurry of butterflies in his stomach as he felt Hiro pull away. His disappointment was short lived when he heard Hiro taking off his jeans. Shuichi laid as still as possible, a blush blossoming on his face. He's had the occasional dream of fucking and being fucked by his best friend, but that was it. It was a dream. Now with the reality of their situation looming in his face, Shuichi felt himself clam up.

"Condom? Lube?" Hiro asked, oblivious to this new Shuichi.

Shuichi complied and rolled over on his stomach, pulling the drawer open. His hand rummaged around for a good minute before he felt the sharp corners of the condom and the tube of lubricant. He tossed them in Hiro's direction, still on his stomach. He heard the distinct rip of the condom wrapper and felt himself stir. Hiro nudged Shuichi's legs apart and lowered himself.

"Do you really want this, Shu-chan?" Hiro asked quietly, stroking Shuichi's trembling flesh.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Shuichi could only shake his head back and forth; he found that his voice escaped him and his throat tight with pent up desire. However, Shuichi found that he could moan when he felt the light imprints of Hiro's nails across his ass. Hiro took this as permission and flipped the lid of the lubricant open. He poured the cool liquid into his palm and snapped the lid shut. Hiro tossed it aside and rubbed his palms together, feeling the tingling warm sensation spread through his skin. He then lubed his condom-sheathed cock and repositioned himself above Shuichi. Shuichi trembled with anticipation and gasped as he felt Hiro's slick finger slowly stretch his opening. Hiro gently probed Shuichi and slid his finger in further, enjoying the tightness Shuichi's body provided him.

"Am I going too fast, Shu-chan?" Hiro whispered.

"No," Shuichi said breathily, "faster."

Hiro complied as he shoved the length of his finger inside Shuichi and felt him shudder. He continued in such a fashion until Shuichi bucked underneath him, lifting his ass off the bed.

"More?" Hiro inquired, a graceful eyebrow arched in mockery.

"Mmm … please," Shuichi begged.

Hiro found himself complying once more as he eased a second finger inside Shuichi. The pace was agonizingly slow for Shuichi, but he knew what was to come and prepared himself for it. Hiro kept with his slow pace, knowing that it drove Shuichi crazy. When Shuichi whimpered for the umpteenth time, Hiro rewarded Shuichi's patience with a third finger. He began slowly again. After a short while, Shuichi began to yearn for more. He let Hiro know with a not so subtle push of his ass toward his direction.

"Just can't wait, can we? Always so passionate and in the moment, Shu-chan. That's what I love most about you," Hiro said as he gently extracted his fingers.

Shuichi whimpered again at the absence of Hiro's fingers. He gasped out loud as Hiro rudely shoved his cock to the hilt in Shuichi. True, Hiro had prepared him for a certain amount of time, but he didn't anticipate Hiro to stretch him. Hiro didn't slow down his pace, his hands grasping Shuichi's hip and hair simultaneously. Shuichi felt his cock harden and got on his knees. He began to stroke himself into a harder state as Hiro pulled in and out of him. Hiro noticed the jerky movements of Shuichi's arm and saw to his delight that Shuichi was masturbating. He slowed down his thrusts and slowly pulled out until his head was in Shuichi. Shuichi noticed the absence and turned around, giving Hiro a questioning look.

Without warning, Hiro buried himself to the hilt with a strong thrust. The look on Shuichi's face satisfied Hiro. Hiro felt Shuichi's ass tighten around his cock and knew that Shuichi was coming. Hiro continued to slam into Shuichi and if possible, picked up the rhythm at a faster pace. Shuichi groaned as he came, moving his ass back to meet with Hiro's thrusts. With one final thrust, Hiro spent himself. They laid together as so for a few moments before Hiro pulled out. Shuichi let out a sigh as he eased his body on the bed. Hiro went to dispose the condom and cleaned up. He came back with a wet towel and ordered Shuichi to lay on his back. As he did so, Hiro began to gently clean Shuichi.

"Thanks, Hiro," Shuichi said softly.

"Anything for you, you know that," Hiro said, tossing the towel in a corner.

Hiro climbed into bed with Shuichi, knowing that the vocalist hadn't slept too well since the transition from the hotel floor to the bed of the bus. He gathered Shuichi to him and lightly kissed his lips. For the first time in hours, Shuichi drifted off to a sated slumber.

What seemed like hours later, Shuichi woke up. His body felt sore and the memories assaulted him all at once. With a shake of his head, Shuichi got a grip and slid out of bed. He rummaged around for some clothes and was slammed against the wall as the bus came to a sudden stop. Shuichi laid on the floor, jeans halfway on when K came through.

"Shuichi! Pit stop!"

K glanced at the rumpled bed and then around the room. He found Shuichi twitching on the floor.

"Ah. Ha ha ha, sorry about the abrupt stop! The crew brought it to my attention that they need to be fed. So let's go dine on some fine American cuisine."

"O-okay," Shuichi said, sitting himself up.

"Are you okay, Shuichi?" K asked, sounding concerned.

"Just … don't drive. Let the bus driver drive, for Kami's sake!"

K frowned at Shuichi's comment before laughing.

"That's my Shuichi. Get dressed so we can go to a restaurant properly. No matter how good-looking you may be, you can't go in half-naked," K said as he walked out of Shuichi's room.

Shuichi was glad K was gone before he could see the blush on his face. He slowly stood up and pulled his jeans on, foregoing a pair of boxers. The threatening look on K's face was enough to send Shuichi out in a hurry. He finished putting his hair in a single braid as he stepped off the bus and frowned as he saw the distant backs of his band mates and ASK. Shuichi swore underneath his breath as he took off after them. Huffing and puffing a few seconds later at the entrance, Shuichi went to the men's restroom to straighten up.

He noticed that only one stall was occupied. Shuichi stood in front of a sink and turned the faucet on. He splashed water on his face and straightened his hair. Shuichi shook himself from the real daydreams of his earlier escapade with Hiro. His _best friend_, for crying out loud! He didn't know if the atmosphere between them was going to be different and he knew there was only one way to find out.

"Damn it, Shu," Shuichi hissed in Japanese, "you're pathetic! Fucking your own best friend! And for what?!"

Shuichi was startled out of his thoughts as he heard movement in the occupied stall. Shock waves reverberated throughout his body as he heard a familiar voice.

"I'm surprised at you, brat."

Shuichi slowly turned around to face the man who starred in his fantasies and nightmares alike. He strengthened his stance and scowled at Yuki. How in the hell, of all the places in America, did he manage to run right into Yuki's path? God must really have it in for him today and he didn't know why. Yuki took in Shuichi's disheveled appearance. He closed the gap between them in a short amount of time and pressed his body against Shuichi.

"Ironic. I intend to finish what we started back in a restaurant in Japan," Yuki said huskily, grabbing a hold of Shuichi's braid.

He tugged Shuichi's head up at an angle and gently worked his mouth against Shuichi. As much as he hated Yuki right now, his body craved Yuki's touch and automatically responded to the familiar touches. Yuki grunted in approval as his hand reached for Shuichi's zipper. His hand hovered mere centimeters from the cloth and felt Shuichi's cock through the rough fabric. Shuichi moaned into the kiss and thrust himself towards Yuki. Yuki broke the kiss and stroked Shuichi.

"So pliant today. I must thank your _best friend_ for putting you in such a state," Yuki said, breaking from the contact.

Shuichi growled and was immediately silenced as Yuki tugged him toward a stall.

"Are you mad?! Someone could walk in at any moment!" Shuichi hissed, trying to gain some sort of sense of the situation.

Yuki didn't respond as he closed the stall door and pinned his body to Shuichi. He assaulted Shuichi's lips and began to unzip Shuichi's jeans. Shuichi tried to protest, although it was all in his mind. Yuki lowered himself on his knees and pulled out Shuichi's hard cock. With no warning or loving dirty phrases, Yuki swallowed Shuichi whole. Something distorted ripped out of Shuichi's throat as he felt Yuki's hot mouth working his length. He began to thrust inside Yuki's mouth and felt his lips curve in a smile.

The tables turned in a moment as Shuichi found himself sitting on the toilet and Yuki towering over him. Without a prompt, Shuichi unzipped Yuki's pants and pulled out Yuki's half-hard cock. Shuichi licked the head and tasted Yuki's seed. With one hand, Shuichi tightened his grip around the base and began to suck Yuki's hardening cock. With his free hand, Shuichi began to stroke himself in time.

"Fuck, brat," Yuki sighed, "since when did you --"

Yuki's sentence was cut short as Shuichi deep-throated him. Shuichi's intentions of silencing the blond worked. He watched as Yuki reached into his jacket and pulled out a condom and a small tube of lubrication. Shuichi immediately pulled Yuki's cock out of his mouth.

"Are you like Houwiennie or some shit? First you appear out of nowhere in nowhere and now you've come prepared like, like you _expected _to get some ass from me … what the hell's going on?!" Shuichi bit off loudly.

Yuki blatantly ignored Shuichi's outburst and tore the wrapper open. Shuichi could only sit on the toilet and watch Yuki roll the condom on his cock. He then flipped the lid on the lubricant and poured the liquid in his palm. He rubbed his palms together and sheathed his cock in the warming balm. Hands still slick with lubricant, Yuki forced Shuichi up and turned him around.

"This," Yuki said, finding Shuichi's opening with one swift thrust.

An audible scream would have been heard if it wasn't for Yuki's hand clasped over Shuichi's mouth. Yuki began to slowly thrust in and out of Shuichi and leaned in.

"You know I've missed you, brat," Yuki said with uncharacteristic warmth.

The words didn't surprise Shuichi. It was the tone that made Shuichi glance over his shoulder and stare into the piercing gaze of his ex-lover. If only he could be like this every once in a while, then Shuichi wouldn't mind going back. But he knew too much of Yuki's behavior. His body screamed at Yuki's rude entrance but became complacent as his body became familiar again with Yuki. Shuichi turned around to face the wall while Yuki's hand gently grasped the side of his face. He turned his head to the right slightly and found Yuki's fingers. Shuichi began to lick and suckle at the tips of Yuki's fingers, which brought a guttural moan from Yuki.

As his fingers were being sucked and licked, pulled into the hot wet mouth that was Shuichi, his free hand found Shuichi's erection and began to stroke. Shuichi moaned as he felt Yuki stroking his cock and moved his ass backward to meet Yuki's thrusts. Both men sighed in content as their bodies moved of their own accord.

"Yuki … Yuki …" Shuichi moaned.

"Fuck … what, brat," Yuki said, clenching his teeth.

Just the way Shuichi said his name nearly made him come.

"Faster."

One word. That one word broke everything in Yuki and he gave the vocalist what he wanted. He braced himself and moved his feet further apart. With one hand on Shuichi's hip, Yuki thrust with wild abandon. Too many months he couldn't have Shuichi. That one night in Las Vegas wasn't enough to satiate his desire for the younger man. He's had one-night stands and a dieing fling here and there, but he knew that his body yearned for Shuichi. Yuki felt himself tighten as he heard Shuichi moan and felt warm liquid all over his hand. Yuki slammed into Shuichi as he came and kept thrusting as he spent himself.

Their soft and ragged breathing could be heard all around them. Yuki gently pulled out of Shuichi and reached for the toilet paper. He took off the condom and cleaned himself. Shuichi finally moved from his position and stifled a groan as he felt his back protest. Yuki grabbed another handful of toilet paper and turned Shuichi around, cleaning him. Shuichi could only stare dumbly at Yuki's moving hand was brought out of the trance by a deep kiss.

Shuichi still felt dazed as Yuki pulled up his pants. He then pulled up Shuichi's jeans and zipped it for him. Yuki could only smile in satisfaction at his adverse affect on the younger man. He still had him. Yuki clasped Shuichi's hand and led him out of the bathroom. They ran into Suguru, who looked relieved and confused at the two.

"Shuichi! We were waiting for you! Shuichi? Are you okay?" Suguru asked, going immediately to his side.

"I found him wondering around sort of dazed. I think he might have a fever," Yuki said none too friendly.

Suguru shot him a dirty look and pressed his hand to Shuichi's forehead.

"You're practically burning up, Shuichi!" Suguru said in dismay. "I'll walk you back to the bus --"

"It's okay. I'll see to it that he gets into bed," Yuki said, shocking Suguru into silence.

What did Yuki just say? Suguru could only stare at the retreating backs of Yuki and Shuichi. What was Yuki doing here anyway, in all places? But what Yuki said had Suguru doubting his view of Yuki. Suguru was startled out of his thoughts by a voice behind him.

"Where's Shuichi? Was that Yuki?" Taki asked in disbelief as his eyes followed Suguru's gaze.

"Y-yes. Something about Shuichi being sick," Suguru said, turning around to glance at Taki.

"I'm sure something _did_ make him sick," Taki said tightly.

He turned on his heels and headed toward the dining area. Suguru could only follow Taki's lead, his thoughts scattered for the moment. Suguru went back empty-handed and was grilled by K. When K learned of Yuki's presence, Hiro held him back. At Hiro's insistence, K grudgingly let Yuki take care of Shuichi. The rest of the crew and band mates enjoyed a raucous lunch hour. Taki was charged with the task of getting something for Shuichi to eat and the proper medications. Taki scowled, of course, but when the others left, he made sure to pick out dishes that Shuichi would like. He spent thirty minutes in the medicine aisle, oblivious to the stares of men and women. Taki carried his packages carefully to ASK's bus. Ma-kun was ready to make a jibe about Taki's worrisome nature, but thought twice as Ken elbowed him rather hard. He went to his room to change first. Taki nearly dropped his packages at the sight.

Shuichi was stripped down to … nothing, on his bed.

"That damn prick," Taki huffed, placing the packages on the floor. "Left the brat in my bed, huh? What the hell is he playing at?"

Taki turned around and went to the living area of the bus. He grabbed a glass and filled it with water while effectively ignoring Ma-kun's gaze. At that moment he thanked God that Ken wasn't as rambunctious nor troubling as Ma-kun. Taki returned to his room and immediately closed the door.

Glancing at Shuichi's flushed skin made Taki want to high-tail it out of there. Getting a grip on himself and assuring himself that he could handle the younger vocalist, Taki quietly walked to Shuichi. He wasn't sure if he should be within such close proximity of the apparently naked vocalist. With a measured sigh, Taki sat on the edge of the bed. Shuichi was struggling with a nightmare and Taki shuddered, wondering if he was the cause of it.

Shuichi opened his eyes and was surprised to see Taki sitting on his bed. He made a small gesture that caught the attention of Taki. Taki immediately got up and almost bowed in way of apology. Shuichi rolled his eyes and sat up.

"What are you doing in my room?" Shuichi asked, not concerned with his nudity.

"Yuki deposited _you_ into _my_ room," Taki said with a huff.

Shuichi glanced all around him and he didn't recognize his room. He flipped onto his stomach and rummaged through a drawer that looked like his. Shuichi frowned in dismay when he couldn't locate his usual supply of condoms and lube. He looked for a white towel in the corner of the room and didn't find it. Shuichi found Taki looking at him apprehensively.

"Hn. I guess you're right," Shuichi said after a while, stifling a yawn.

Taki nearly face vaulted at Shuichi's casual statement.

"Seeing as how I'm not up to walking to _my_ bus, your bed would be just fine for tonight."

"Now look here, Shuichi, you can't commandeer my own room from me!"

"Who said I was kicking you out?"

"W-what?"

"For someone older than me, you're very naïve," Shuichi said with a huff.

"Naïve?! You want naïve?" Taki hissed through gritted teeth.

With a rather graceful leap, Taki landed on top of Shuichi. He found himself on all fours as he stalked toward Shuichi, who was doing a pitiful job of backing up to the headboard with his dignity intact. Through narrowed eyes, Taki watched with evident amusement at Shuichi's discomfort. Taki stopped millimeters away from Shuichi's quivering lips and gave him a sinister smile.

"Naïve, am I? Naïve takes on many forms, Shuichi. Care to pinpoint mine?"

Taki moved a hand to hover millimeters above Shuichi's growing erection. His mouth hovered millimeters from Shuichi's lips. He kept moving his hand, never touching Shuichi. His lips played a game of teased retreat. All other body parts touched except for what Shuichi wanted. Determined not to give in, Shuichi thought about all the nasty ways he could kill Taki.

First, he'd bind and gag him. Then he'd administer his own torturous punishment before finishing him off. Most of his thoughts centered mainly on the "punishing" part and he realized with a start that these "killing" scenarios weren't quelling his desire. He wouldn't give in to the older man. He couldn't! In a literal sense, Shuichi was tired of being used.

Shuichi's body moved of its' own accord, responding in a way Shuichi didn't want it to. Every time Shuichi tried to feel Taki's touch, Taki would move his hands out of the way. When he settled back down, Taki's hand would hover again over Shuichi's erection. Shuichi took the time to lay back and think of how he could turn the situation around in his favor. Taki sighed inwardly when Shuichi finally settled down. He was about to go when he felt a sudden jerk of his hand.

'_Shit,' _Taki thought and swallowed hard, _'Shuichi's fucking hard … and …'_

Shuichi pulled Taki's hand onto his hard cock. The surprised look on Taki's face was priceless and Shuichi couldn't resist kissing him. Shuichi wound his free hand around Taki's neck and gripped the hair at his nape to pull him in closer. Taki groaned into the kiss and began to close the gap between their bodies. Shuichi's legs spread out underneath Taki's and with one swift movement, Shuichi changed their position. It was now Shuichi on top and Taki on the bottom.

Shuichi smiled triumphantly at his clever move and began assaulting Taki's lips. Taki felt his cock twitch at Shuichi's touch. He thrust upwards into Shuichi's pliant hands, which earned a delighted laugh from Shuichi. Taki didn't feel any shame or remorse. He'd waited for too long for something like this to happen.

"What is it, Taki? Do you wish me to relieve you?" Shuichi snarled, one hand forcing Taki's neck at an impossible angle. "Do you want me to _fuck_ you?"

Taki could only moan in reply at his harsh treatment in the hands of Shuichi. The rough housing turned him on. The point of this demonstration was lost on both parties as Taki tried to take his clothes off. Shuichi got off of Taki and made his way to the drawer and pulled it open. Shuichi pulled out a condom, lube and Suguru's black whip. Taki took the time to undress and was startled to see Shuichi with the whip.

"How'd you come into this?" Shuichi inquired with a hint of amusement.

"Ma-kun thought I'd need for one thing or another. Bastard stuffed it in my drawer. Favor, he said," Taki said with a lilt of disgust.

Shuichi's skin flushed at the word favor. It wasn't too long ago that his best friend bestowed a favor upon him.

"Would you like me to use this on you?" Shuichi asked darkly.

"Just do something," Taki bit off in frustration.

"Impatient? You'll get what you want in due time," Shuichi said, making his way towards Taki.

The handle of the whip was smooth and slick. Shuichi grinned at the implication. Oh yes, Taki was going to get all he wanted and more. Shuichi advanced on Taki, who was propped on his elbows. Shuichi reached for the lubricant and flipped the lid. He poured the liquid on his fingers and began massaging Taki's ass. Shuichi had one firm grip on Taki's cock and he began to lick around the head. Taki moaned as he felt his cock slip deeper into Shuichi's hot mouth. He gasped as he felt a finger stretching him and glanced down at Shuichi. Sure enough, Shuichi had slipped a finger into him and was working a second one in. Shuichi fingered him with sure and confident strokes, going neither too fast nor too slow.

Taki placed his hands on either side of Shuichi's face and beckoned him to suck harder. Shuichi complied as he worked his jaw muscles, taking every inch of Taki inside of his mouth. He felt the tip of Taki's head scrape the back of his throat and took him by surprise as he deep-throated Taki's cock. Taki let out a small cry as he felt simultaneously Shuichi deep-throat him and a third finger working inside of him. He began to thrust upwards, pushing his cock further into Shuichi's mouth. Shuichi removed his fingers and Taki felt a slight loss. He bit back a cry as he felt something cold and hard replace Shuichi's warm fingers. Taki glanced down again and saw the black whip in Shuichi's hand. Shuichi only glanced up at Taki, a ghost of a smirk around his pink lips.

Shuichi moved the whip's handle slowly back and forth, preparing Taki's body for the inevitable. Taki bucked underneath Shuichi's touch and scooted his ass toward Shuichi. Shuichi continued to deep-throat Taki as he moved the handle further into Taki. Inch by slow inch, Shuichi had the whip's handle sheathed in Taki. Taki panted and moaned, wanting Shuichi to move the handle. As if Shuichi read his thoughts, he began to move the handle out of Taki's body. He then moved the handle back in when the tip the handle was visible. Shuichi began at a slow pace but moved the handle at an accelerating rate.

"I … want you inside, Shuichi!" Taki said hoarsely.

Shuichi lifted his head and took Taki's cock out of his mouth.

"What was that?" Shuichi asked.

"I want you inside me!" Taki exclaimed louder.

"What shall I do with the whip, then?"

"Anything! I swear, Shuichi, I want you inside me," Taki panted as Shuichi moved the handle faster.

Without a word, Shuichi removed the handle and felt Taki tremble.

"On your knees and hands," Shuichi said, his voice thick with lust.

Taki did as Shuichi said, bracing himself for the unexpected with the younger vocalist. He waited as patiently as possible while Shuichi put the condom on and lubricate his cock. Shuichi placed the tip of his head at Taki's opening, not yet penetrating the older man. Taki whimpered as he felt Shuichi's cock so near him. He automatically moved his ass backwards toward Shuichi. Shuichi gripped Taki's hips firmly and with one thrust, buried himself to the hilt. Taki bit on his right shoulder as a mangled cry ripped from his ragged throat. Shuichi moved in and out of Taki, thrusting harder.

Taki dropped to his elbows as Shuichi's thrusts became harder. After a few moments, Taki dropped lower on the bed, his arms cushioning his suddenly heavy head. Shuichi felt his cock slide deeper into Taki. Shuichi redoubled his efforts and set an even harder pace on Taki. With one hand, Shuichi searched for the whip and found it nearby, not letting up on Taki. Somehow Shuichi managed to wrap Taki's milky smooth neck in the whip, forcing Taki back on his elbows. Taki let out a choked moan as he felt Shuichi's hand wrap around his cock. Shuichi pumped the length of Taki's cock in time to his own hard thrusts. Taki began to see stars behind his half-lidded gaze. Shuichi slammed into his prostrate and felt his own orgasm ready to explode.

Taki let out a mangled cry as he came. Shuichi's hand was slick with Taki's seed and he raised his hand to his lips, tasting Taki. Shuichi gripped Taki's hips once more as he came and bore down hard on Taki. Shuichi let out a guttural moan and collapsed on top of Taki. Taki rolled onto his side and Shuichi spooned him. The whip was still around Taki's neck as Shuichi slowly removed his cock. The cool lubricant that still coated Shuichi's cock that laid on the back of Taki's thigh brought Taki around to Shuichi.

"Oh, fucking gods," Shuichi cursed lightly, looking at Taki through heavy eyes.

"I second that," Taki said, their panting in tune.

"Let me remove that," Shuichi said, gently touching the whip.

Both men struggled in their satiated haze to move about comfortably as Shuichi extracted the whip from around Taki's neck. He tossed the whip to the side of the bed and it landed with a thud on the floor. Shuichi looked at the pink welts he made and moved to gently trace it with his tongue. Shuichi's warm touch soothed the ache around Taki's neck. When their breathing returned to normal, Shuichi extracted himself from the jumble of limbs and found a shirt. He slid the condom off and cleaned himself. He walked back to Taki and cleaned the vocalist. With a flick of his wrist, the shirt was back on the floor. Shuichi resumed his position and spooned Taki, pulling a sheet over them both. Shuichi lightly grazed Taki's neck as Taki yawned out of exhaustion. They settled into a deep slumber a few minutes later.

Shuichi woke with a start. He looked frantically around him and let out a huge sigh. He raked one hand through his disheveled hair and sat up, rubbing his bleary eyes.

Three.

He couldn't believe that he had three sexual fantasies all in a row! Just that alone made his head ache and his body weak. Shuichi stared at the corner where Hiro supposedly disposed of a white towel. He didn't see it.

"A dream. This entire time it was a fucking _dream_!" Shuichi said, annoyed at himself.

He noticed, though, that his cock didn't care less to differentiate between reality and fantasy. Shuichi groaned and decided to get it over with. He hated the way his body betrayed him. If this was an indication of whom he was to pick, if anyone, then his love life was in for one _hell_ of a ride. Just what he needed. More added complications to his already complicated life. Shuichi moaned as his hand gripped his hard cock firmly. He didn't bother stroking himself gently. Shuichi kicked at the sheets around his legs and spread his legs, speeding up his strokes at the memory of fucking Taki.

"Taki …" Shuichi whispered with an involuntary groan.

Shuichi shut his eyes as he tried to recall the events during their fantasy love making. He concentrated so hard that he didn't notice a knock on his door. Taki cursed under his breath as he stood at Shuichi's door. Why was it always him that had to get Shuichi? Instead of waiting for an answer, Taki thought a rude awakening would do the younger vocalist good. Who was he anyway, making Taki wait on him hand and foot. Taki quietly opened the door and shut it behind him. When he turned around, Taki lost his breath.

Shuichi was naked on his bed, fucking _masterbating_! He was startled out of his little revelation when Shuichi whispering his name. Oh, shit.

"Shuichi?" Taki finally ventured.

Shuichi cracked one eye open and realization dawned on him. He looked to his still hand, his hard cock and Taki's shocked facial expression. The situation would have been almost comical if it was a dream, but there Taki stood, in flesh and blood. He could see the steely resolve in Taki's eyes. Shuichi laughed softly.

"Care to join me, Tachi-kun?" Shuichi asked, letting a drip of seduction in his voice drop.

'_Oh, SHIT.'_

-----

**A/N**: Yeah. That took longer than expected. My brain was so over-filled with boy on boy smut that I couldn't properly finish the Taki and Shuichi fantasy until today. I apologize.

And I apologize once more for the delay of the story. So I thought that this would tide some of my reviewers over. I know, I know. It's like bribing you guys with candy. I can't help it! It's been stewing around in my brain forever and now it has leaked out.

I hope you guys like it.

I sort of left it at a cliffy. Gomen.

Hoorah for smutfestiness! I couldn't bring myself to do a Ryu and Shu fantasy. My brain is already dead. Gomen.

Enjoy!


	11. Explore

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shuichi X Hand, Shuichi X Taki, Shuichi X Ryuichi

**Rating:** MA

**Warning: **… Tiny Smudge O' Nasty and Some Curse Words and Some Such Nonsense …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there will be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews!

Previously: Bad Luck and ASK just wrapped up their concert in Las Vegas. Ryuichi declared his love for Shuichi publicly. Answers are wanted as to who Shuichi wants to be with. On the drive from Las Vegas to Boise, Idaho, Shuichi was shaken to the core with three fantasies starring the men in his life. Taki is in a bind when he walks in on Shuichi playing with himself …

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Chapter Eleven

"Explore"

-----

"Well, Tachi-kun?"

Taki swallowed hard and fought to keep control of his body. Shuichi definitely wasn't making it easy to ignore him. Taki tried to look everywhere else except Shuichi, but his gaze was inevitably drawn back to the younger man. He felt himself stir when Shuichi resumed his play, shame going to hell in a pink hand basket. Taki stood transfixed and watched the muscles tense underneath his smooth creamy skin.

"Tachi …" Shuichi breathed slowly.

'_Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!'_ Taki thought desperately. Perhaps he should give in and fuck the hell out of Shuichi. Or better yet, escape while he had some integrity and sanity in tact.

"Ah … I'm sorry," Taki said, taking a deep breath and retracing his steps to the door.

A guttural moan was Shuichi's reply. Taki's step faltered. Just one step. He could turn it all around with just one step back to Shuichi. Realizing beforehand the massive complications of this possible event had Taki safely behind the door. He closed the door behind him with a trembling hand. With his back pressed to the door, Taki struggled to get his body to obey him. His pants, at the moment, felt excruciatingly tight. He gasped for breath and slid to the floor.

Taki leaned against the too-thin door and tried unsuccessfully to shut out Shuichi's heavy pants. Frustration pooled in the pit of his stomach and he couldn't understand why. With a mental kick to Shuichi's door, Taki heaved himself off the floor and wordlessly ambled out of Bad Luck's bus. He was thankful that Ma-kun had enough decency to not comment on his haggard state. Ken could only take a wild stab in the dark as to what got their vocalist in such a knot. Taki climbed into the comfort of his bed and buried deep into the blankets. His body was still trying to cope with that image and felt his control slip inch by inch. With a defeated sigh, Taki began an earnest imitation of Shuichi's earlier actions.

-----

Shuichi woke up hours later. He shook his head violently and cursed himself for having such big fantasies. Not only did he dream of getting laid thrice by different partners, but he also had a disturbing dream of letting Taki see him masturbate. Shuichi moved around the bed and found certain spots of his sheets dry with …

'_Oh shit,'_ Shuichi thought as he buried his face in his hands. He knew then that the last dream wasn't part of his fantasies but that it really did occur. Armed with this disturbing knowledge, Shuichi tried to calm down.

'_What's the big deal? It's not like Taki hasn't seen me naked already. But … I wasn't playing with myself at the time, either.'_

Shuichi bit out a frustrated groan. Why Taki? Why this situation all of a sudden? As if he didn't have enough things to worry about, he now had a complicated love life of sorts. He couldn't figure out where he stood with Yuki, Taki and Ryuichi.

'_Ryuichi? Why is he in this category? He's told me plenty of times that he loves me. I love him, too. The fanservice we performed said otherwise, though. Just when I get an accurate reading on his feelings, he reverts back to his child-like self. Maybe being straight would've been easier!'_

A knock on the door shook Shuichi out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?" he ventured.

Hiro poked his head in and gave Shuichi a wide smile. He nearly cringed when his sights set upon a rather scary looking Shuichi.

"We're in Boise now. K said to wake your ass up to help with the preparations. What the hell happened to you?"

Shuichi flushed as naughty thoughts surfaced to his mind.

"Nothing but the, uh, run-of-the-mill nightmares," Shuichi said in a pitch higher than his normal voice.

Hiro gave him a suspicious glance and shrugged.

"Okay. You've always known that you can come to me for anything, right, Shuichi?"

"R-right," Shuichi said, the blush making its way down his face and to his neck.

He heaved a huge sigh of relief as Hiro finally retreated. How was he supposed to act around Hiro and Taki after such a fantastic debacle, even if it was all in his mind? Shuichi plucked up his courage and dressed slowly. He noticed a bag that was dropped haphazardly on the floor and went to pick it up. He vaguely remembered Taki coming in his room with a white bag. Shuichi glanced inside the bag and chuckled at the contents. He'd have to ask Taki about it later. As soon as he was over his mortification.

"Hello, my gentlemen. Finally woken up Prince Charming, eh?" K drawled out unnecessarily.

"He was sick," Suguru cut in defense.

"He looks just fine to me now," K said, a glint in his eye. "Our concert isn't until two days from now, so Shuichi will have plenty of time to recover. So go. GO! Do something fun, yes!"

"I want to go with the big boys, too, Daddy!" Michael said almost pathetically.

"You can come with Daddy and he'll show you how to put together and take apart a few small guns!" K said with a bright smile and a thumbs up sign.

"I already know how to," Michael said, sulking and kicking at an imaginary rock.

"Have you been getting into Daddy's personal stash again?!" K asked disbelievingly as father and son walked away from the group.

"There's nothing else for me to do! I've caught up in all of my lessons and Mommy's always on some set or another," Michael said.

The bantering continued as the two walked out of sight and into the hotel they were staying at. Bad Luck and ASK could only stand there with mouths agape.

"Is that a normal conversation to have? I mean, between a father and son?" Ken asked in disbelief.

"This is K and his son that we're talking about, after all. So I guess in their situation, it's pretty normal," Hiro theorized, chin in hand.

"He's so _mature_ for someone his age, though," Ma-kun said. "Does the boy ever have fun?"

"His definition of fun would be to wade through the thousands of weapons at K's disposal and take them apart," Suguru said, shuddering at the thought.

Simultaneously, an image of an older Michael and K together looking like Rambo on a triple dose of steroids popped into their heads. Realizing that perhaps Michael would take over for his dad, the bands looked at each other.

"Uh, that was scary," Ken said after a while.

"Indeed it was," Suguru replied.

-----

"We don't have any plans for a day and a half, so what say you to some exploring!" Suguru enthused.

"Is it anything like what you organized back in Las Vegas, by chance?" Hiro asked warily.

"Yeah, man, coz if it was, then you can count me out! Who in the hell can make the most exciting, erotic city in the West coast look like a demure nun's chapel? Suguru, that's who!" Ma-kun said, rolling his eyes and biting rather vigorously into his apple.

"The last couple of nights were quite exciting, from what I observed," Suguru said, his tone carrying a different meaning.

Ma-kun caught the words and began to blush uncontrollably. Taki didn't want to get into it so he kept eating his pretzels. Shuichi laid on his stomach on the floor and was doodling in his composition book. For the entire day, Shuichi was on his last nerves every time _anyone_ touched him. Fortunately for him, Taki didn't mention anything about their incidental meeting and he was glad for that.

"RIGHT!" Ma-kun suddenly yelled.

That startled everyone and got their attention.

"Tachi-kun's birthday is tomorrow!" Ma-kun nearly sang. Ken nodded silently in agreement.

All at once, or rather, from the four men, plans were thrown back and forth. Shuichi merely ducked as conversation flew past his head and he eyed Taki from the corner of his vision. Taki was sitting on the floor not too far from Shuichi, a sofa supporting his back and head as he drew up his left knee. He could see words forming on his lips. Shuichi guessed he was trying to tune them out. If he glanced from Taki's strong jaw lines down to his Adam's apple, past the peek of his smooth creamy chest, along the vertical line of Taki's button-up shirt to the band of his pants, and down one button later …

'_Oh, gods, what the hell am I thinking?!'_ Shuichi screamed inside his head.

"Since it's my birthday, I get to choose what we'll do," Taki said, not changing his position.

The conversation halted as soon as it started. They looked at him quizzically.

"Let's do something we've never done before. No clubs-,"

"But Taki-," Ma-kun whined.

"-no drinking-," Taki continued.

"Ahhhh!" Ma-kun cried.

"-and no dancing," Taki said, sitting up and supporting his own weight. "This country has a natural beauty of its own. What I'd like to do is what Suguru suggested. Explore it."

"Why don't we just call you Grandpa already?" Ma-kun said dejectedly.

Ignoring Ma-kun, Taki continued.

"Let's go hiking. A simple trail. Enjoy America for her natural composition."

"That doesn't sound too bad, Aizawa," Hiro said with a slight smile, "I wouldn't have pegged you for an outdoor man!"

"Meh. Something happened to me that made me change my entire way of thinking," Taki said carefully.

"I'll go," Ken said.

"Oh, what the hell? It wouldn't be proper if there were a bunch of uglies crawling around in the dirt," Ma-kun said, tossing his golden mane in disdain.

"Are you in, Shuichi?" Suguru asked.

"Hm?"

Everyone face-faulted when Shuichi looked up from his book and glanced at everyone's faces. He colored a bit as he hastily glanced at Taki.

"Weren't you listening to a word we were saying?" Hiro asked.

"Apparently not," Shuichi said, scowling.

"We're going to go hiking later this afternoon. Right now, we've got to call around and see if there are some shops that'll outfit us," Suguru explained.

"What's wrong with what we've got on now?" Ma-kun asked.

"You want to roll around the dirt in your precious Dolice and Gabrianna duds?" Ken replied.

A look of utter horror crossed Ma-kun's face as he blurted, "HELL NO!"

"Alright then. Let's get started!" Suguru said excitedly.

-----

"Tell me again why we decided to do this?" Ma-kun panted as he picked his way along the dirt trail.

"Um, you were saying something about making us uglies prettier with you in our group," Hiro said, smirking at the sight of Ma-kun.

"Oh, yeah!" Ma-kun said, sounding chipper than ever.

"This really is beautiful," Suguru said, wiping sweat from his brows, "Thank you, Taki."

"You're welcome," Taki said, clearly embarrassed.

"Hey, Shuichi," Ken said, elbowing the shorter man gently. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm?" Shuichi batted his eyelashes at Ken.

"You seem a little … distracted," Ken said.

"Oh, yeah, eh, sorry to make you worry. A lot of things on my mind lately. I'm fine!" Shuichi said with a bright smile.

Partly convinced, Ken and Shuichi caught up to the group. Suguru had his digital camera out and was snapping the scenery every few feet. Shuichi glanced around him slowly, taking notice of the sprawling forest for the first time. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Shuichi tasted life here. Simple, beautiful. He opened his eyes and found Taki's piercing gaze directly on him. His tranquil, albeit brief, meditation was obliterated. Shuichi began to brood once more when he felt someone near him.

"Don't," Taki whispered.

"Don't what?" Shuichi replied under his breath harshly, a blush forming all too easily in _that_ man's presence.

"Do I disgust you that much still?" Taki asked, unintentionally letting a bit of hurt into his voice.

Shuichi was shocked to his toes.

'_Disgusted? Where'd he get that notion from?_' Shuichi thought as he tried to verbalize a reply.

"What didn't happen between us on the bus … Are you still disturbed … because I heard my-my name … coming from you …" Taki said in a fine veil of frustration.

"Taki, I-"

"Hurry up, you old slugs! We're gonna leave your asses behind if you keep arguing! Cut Taki some slack, for god's sake, it's his birthday!" Ma-kun jibed a few hundred feet away from them.

True to his words, Taki and Shuichi were so immersed in their conversation that everything else outside of it just disappeared. The pair looked at each other and then at the group of four.

"The bastard was begging me to sing him a birthday song. So I finally caved in-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! It's hot man, and we've still got a mile and a half to cover before we reach our "panoramic destination"," Ma-kun yelled back at the pair.

"Fine, fine, if it'll get you to shut up!" Shuichi replied.

With their conversation left behind, Shuichi and Taki easily caught up with the rest of Bad Luck and ASK. The silence that hung between Taki and Shuichi wasn't hostile, but it wasn't friendly either. They sweated in companionable grunts as the sun reached its zenith and the trail grew steeper. Shuichi had to force himself to move on or else risking the wrath of a very impatient Ma-kun. He'll just have to settle for the pictures that Suguru took to try and replicate this feeling.

"Ahhhhh, man, that was _excruciating_!" Ma-kun said as he spotted a couple of boulders near a well-trod path half an hour later.

"Quit your whining already. Any more and I'll toss your ass over the ridge," Hiro said, blowing a stray bang away from his face.

"I'd like to see you try!" Ma-kun retorted, straightening his posture and inviting Hiro.

With a sly smile, Hiro slipped off the backpack he was carrying and ran toward Ma-kun. It was so unexpected that Hiro plowed into the other guitarist. Both landed with an oomph and proceeded to throttle each other. Everyone else looked at the commotion the two stirred up and began rooting and hollering. Before long, with most of their strength deteriorated from the hike, Hiro had Ma-kun pinned beneath him. With a triumphant smile, Hiro heaved himself off of Ma-kun and caught a water bottle Suguru threw at him.

"You're lucky this time that I didn't use my full strength," Hiro said, chugging almost the entire bottle.

"Yo-you're monstrously strong for a wiry red-head," Ma-kun panted and sat up with Ken's assistance.

"K."

That certainly cleared up any misunderstandings about the inhuman endurance of Bad Luck. Everyone took a seat on the boulders that were worn smooth by nature and by the behinds of countless humans before them. The beauty of their surroundings rendered them speechless. Taki couldn't help but feel satisfied that the grins on his band mate's face was because of him. That feeling tripled ten-fold as his gaze rested on Shuichi's face. The light finally caught in his eyes.

-----

"Ah. So that's why you've been acting lost all day," Hiro said with a nod.

"Heh. Something like that, yeah," Shuichi said, an impish grin lighting up his face.

"I'm glad that you've finally decided to tell us," Suguru said, "You had all of us very worried for quite some time."

"But are you sure this is what you want?" Hiro prodded.

"I'll never know unless I try," Shuichi said, "I need to give myself a chance at being happy. It really means a lot to me that you guys are going to support me. I know it's not easy being with me at times, and your concern for me … I appreciate you all more than you know it."

"Well, it's only natural that we're concerned for your well-being because, frankly, Bad Luck would flop if Shuichi Shindou wasn't the singer," Hiro said.

"Yeah. It'd set us back _years_ to try and get to where we are today with another singer!" Suguru chimed in.

"You ungrateful bastards! Why, I-" Shuichi huffed, but was quickly silenced by his two band mates in a hug.

"And because Bad Luck wouldn't be Bad Luck without us all," Hiro whispered.

-----

Butterflies danced in his stomach as he walked slowly. The plush carpet swallowed his footsteps soundlessly. He'd thought quite a bit for some time now and it was the right moment. He fought the urge to heave the non-existent contents of his stomach all over the walls. This moment was what he'd decided. It was now or never. It all started with just one step, he realized. The door appeared suddenly from nowhere, blocking his path to one uncertain future. With a shaky hand, he knocked on the door. He held his breath and twisted a wood and diamond skull ring around his finger endlessly while he waited for a reply.

The door opened slowly.

"Hi," Shuichi said almost shyly as he stared at Taki's face.

"Hey," Taki said casually. "I got your message. You wanted to talk about something?"

"Yeah. Mind if I come inside? I'd rather not have our business out in the hallway."

"Oh, sorry. Come on in," Taki said, stepping aside to let the younger vocalist in.

Taki lead Shuichi to the sofa of their living room suite and sat down. Shuichi opted to sit across from Taki. Taki sat with his hands folded in his lap and an almost quizzical look graced his chiseled face. Shuichi cleared his throat and fidgeted in his seat.

"Taki."

"Yes?"

"Ah …"

"Shuichi?"

"Yes?"

"Is this about what happened the other day on the bus?"

'_God, he's so damn bold! But then again, this is coming from Taki, the instigator and the survivor_,' Shuichi thought. He tried again.

"It's about us."

"Yes, so. What about us?"

"Don't you feel anything between us?"

It was Taki's turn to be silenced by Shuichi's question. He didn't want to give in too easily to what he tried to give voice to. Taki waited with restrained impatience for the younger man to continue.

"I know the mutual attraction we felt for each other at first was compelled by something more like hate. That was years ago and now, years later, I find myself walking the same path with you. We have a strange history together, Taki," Shuichi said in one breath.

Taki didn't know what to say. His reply was obviously being waited for but he couldn't think of anything to say at the moment. He gave Shuichi a helpless look and prayed for him to keep talking.

"I've been thinking - I mean, I thought about _us_. A lot. What you did to me … there should be _nothing_ between us. But you've really surprised me, Taki. You really have. And I'm surprised at myself, too. If I could, I'd like to possibly try to - to be with - with … you," Shuichi said, finding it hard to look Taki in the eyes.

Taki still didn't know what to say. His tongue felt thick in his mouth. He couldn't even give Shuichi the finger right now if he wanted to. What Shuichi had said to him left him utterly spellbound. A yell for joy was waiting to tear from his throat, but his ever vigilant mind halted any sudden actions. He couldn't look at Shuichi as he opened his mouth.

"Thank you," Taki said.

Shuichi looked up and blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"I said, thank you, Shuichi Shindou. But … do you remember what I said to you some time ago, about not being able to forgive myself yet? I still haven't. I would love the opportunity to take our friendship to the next level but I feel as though I--"

That was as far as Taki got in his explanation before he found Shuichi in his lap with both hands grabbing Taki's collar. Shuichi rested his head in the crook of Taki's neck and inhaled deeply. Taki felt the wild hammering of his heart and was sure Shuichi felt it, too.

"You're being too hard on yourself. I won't push you. I feel like a moron coming here, telling this to _you_. But I feel better about it. Embarrassed like you wouldn't believe, but I felt like I made the right choice," Shuichi said, finally looking at Taki.

"Shuichi, I - I'm sorry," Taki said, closing his eyes and fighting against the rising disappointment.

"Well, I hope this doesn't affect the way we work with each other. After all," Shuichi said with a slight chuckle, "we still have two months left together. Oh, by the way. Happy birthday, Taki. I hope all your wishes come true."

With that, Shuichi removed himself from Taki and straightened his clothes. Taki could only sit there and watch Shuichi leave.

'_Move, damn you, Taki! Tell him yes, tell him anything!'_ his heart yelled at him. But Taki sat firm with resolve. He couldn't let Shuichi down. He couldn't hurt him again. The body heals with time, but it's not ever certain with the mind. Taki wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing that he carried the power to do wrong twice.

'_Forgive me once more, Shuichi.'_

-----

To Taki's relief, Shuichi didn't treat him any differently after his confession. Shuichi might have been alright with it, but it still shook Taki to the core. He didn't think something like this would transpire between them. Taki couldn't go back on his words now. He had to find a way to forgive himself even if he had Shuichi's forgiveness.

To his dismay, the concert day brought Ryuichi Sakuma out. Taki didn't know if he should feel threatened by the veteran singer or take everything thrown at him with his usual cocky confidence. On stage, Taki fought to keep his temper in check every time Sakuma came in too close to Shuichi. He'd find his way back to earth when he realized that jealousy wouldn't give him what he needed.

Ken kept shooting concerned glances toward Taki throughout the first set of the concert. He couldn't figure out what was bothering Taki. Ken figured he'd subtly harass him later at the after party. As the lights dimmed, ASK made their way off the stage and into their private room. Everyone congratulated them on another great concert. Taki had to smile at that. The Boise concert _did_ go well and he was quite content with ASK's performance.

Everyone had just changed from their stage clothes into their street clothes when the door was opened rather violently.

"Taki!"

Taki tried his best to not roll his eyes. Stacy flew in, red hair and all. Her rosy cheeks were flushed from dancing backstage. Stacy's eyes connected with Ma-kun's and her happy demeanor turned for the worst. Ma-kun took it all in stride and even dared to wink at her. The blush on her face intensified and a scowl formed in place of her former smile.

"As I was saying," Stacy seethed, "the Red Notes magazine would like to do an interview and photo shoot with ASK."

"What about Bad Luck?" Ken asked.

"Nope. They just want you guys," Stacy said, turning her smile toward Taki.

"Wow," Taki said after a while, "That's great."

"Yeah, isn't it?" Stacy asked, "Adam Grant will get in touch with K in a couple of days to set it up. Congratulations, guys."

Stacy made her exit while the members of ASK were still digesting the new information. Ma-kun sat down in a chair and covered his face with his hands. Ken was standing against a wall, clenching and unclenching his fists. Taki felt the eyes of his band mates on him and he met each gaze. Ma-kun whooped loudly first, followed by a deep laugh from Ken.

"Can you believe it? I mean, _really believe it_?! They want us! Without Bad Luck!" Ma-kun shouted.

"Just give me a few moments to let it sink in," Taki said with a wide smile.

"What does this mean for ASK?" Ken wondered.

"It means, man, that ASK's game is stepping up! We're reaching a broader audience and they're embracing us!" Ma-kun said, still rather ecstatic over their good fortune.

"Congratulations!"

K walked through the door with a grin that matched Taki's.

"Stacy just informed me of your pending interview. Once again, gentlemen, you're shaking yourself from Bad Luck's shadow and going on your own path! Make no mistake that the things I put you guys through is to prepare for moments like these," K said dramatically.

"Thanks, K, for everything," Taki said.

"That's what I'm here for. Well, let's wrap it up. After party is at Club NV and the VIP is Bad Luck and ASK. You guys deserve it," K said, shooting them a thumbs up sign.

"Oh, yeah! VIP, baby, that's what I'm talking about!" Ma-kun said to no one in particular.

"Tail," Ken said with a sigh.

"You're damn right, Ken, it's all about the TAIL!" Ma-kun happily reiterated.

Taki could only shake his head. This was going to be a long night.

-----

"Mr. Sakuma!"

"Ryuichi!"

"RYU!"

Ryuichi's name was being shouted from all directions as the mega-star himself stepped onto the red carpet. Though it was only eight feet to the club's entrance, Ryuichi found himself stopping every so often to answer a question. Shuichi was beside him, fielding questions left and right like a pro. Ryuichi couldn't help but smile at the sight of Shuichi. His star was certainly shining bright tonight. ASK was up ahead a few feet, going through the same routine.

"Ryu, babe, tell me! This is your second appearance as a guest on this tour! Do you have any plans to join them permanently?" a loud voice asked from the crowds.

Ryuichi stopped once more and actually pondered the question.

"Hmm. There's two more months left of this tour. I think I could get production to temporarily stop so that I could sing every night with my Shu-chan!" Ryuichi exclaimed with a blinding smile.

Shuichi glanced quickly at Ryuichi.

'_He wouldn't. He wouldn't dare!'_ Shuichi thought wildly.

Taki heard the question and answer between reporter and star. He stopped and turned around to look at Shuichi's reaction. Taki visibly scoffed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Why not? It'd help sales," Taki said before turning around to address a reporter.

Shuichi fumed at the careless answer that was tossed in his face. He felt like it was a direct attack from Taki. Shuichi couldn't understand why Taki would say something like that. If anything, he should be bitter about what transpired between them a couple days ago. Shuichi didn't expect Taki to take … whatever it was between them, out into the public.

"That'd be a great idea, Ryu, but I certainly don't want to inconvenience you. You've got your own life to live," Shuichi said.

Ryuichi beamed at Shuichi and placed an arm around Shuichi's shoulders.

"Well, never say never!" Ryuichi said to the cameras.

ASK finally got through the front entrance and past the throngs of people. With security surrounding them, the numerous hands reaching out for them didn't get through. After their drink orders were taken by a svelte black-haired waitress, ASK exhaled and began to relax.

"Those were fighting words," Ken said.

"What are you talking about?" Taki asked, making himself more comfortable on the plush sofa.

"Your entire demeanor," Ken pointed out.

"Geeze, you're not making any sense!"

"Maybe you need the translating miracle called alcohol to understand what Ken's saying!" Ma-kun said, gripping a huge champagne bottle by the neck.

"That might sound like a good idea, Ma-kun. Give me a bottle!" Taki said forcibly.

"You know that's not the answer," Ken said, shaking his head.

Taki answered with a swig of his own bottle of champagne. He got a few more gulps in before Bad Luck and Ryuichi joined them. Taki was careful not to look directly at Shuichi. He couldn't understand the situation himself. _He_ was the one who rejected Shuichi, so why did he feel terrible inside?

"Hey, Aizawa, so what's this I hear about ASK having an exclusive with Red Notes?" Ryuichi drawled out in a southern accent.

Shuichi's surprised look said it all as he glanced from Taki to Ryuichi. Somehow, he felt betrayed. _They_ were on tour together. _They_ were supposed to do everything together. Right?

"Yeah. Just us. ASK. Not Bad Luck. ASK. It's all about ASK this time," Taki said, the alcohol obviously getting the best of him.

"Well, congratulations then," Shuichi said tightly.

The men looked at each other quizzically and then at Shuichi and Taki. What in the world was happening now? A few days ago they were getting along just fine. Now it looked like they'd have to _help_ the security team tear these two apart.

"Oh, let him be! Why don't we all toast to new beginnings!" Ma-kun interrupted.

A murmur of consideration was heard. Fine-blown wine glasses were produced out of thin air and bottles of champagne were passed around. Remixes of Bad Luck and ASK's songs were played throughout the club to an enthusiastic crowd. Taki got up and ventured from the safety of their roped off VIP section and into the tumult of dancers. A cry rose above the crowds as soon as Taki was spotted dancing by himself in the middle of the floor. Pandemonium followed as fans tried to get in closer to the singer. Taki lured and reeled them in with seductive moves and an engaging smile. Security got there a little late as they found the singer of ASK sandwiched between two beautiful women.

Ma-kun was encouraging Taki as he shouted and whooped. For some reason, Shuichi found himself appalled by Taki's behavior. He's never seen Taki loose control in such a manner and it made Shuichi shake with unknown anger. Taki came back to their section grinning ear-to-ear. Shuichi was the only one who noticed the bulge in Taki's tight leather pants. He felt himself flush at the sight.

"Hooooo, that was fun!" Taki yelled.

"Hell yeah, Tachi-kun, two tails is always better than one!" Ma-kun said, raising his bottle of champagne to Taki.

"Shu-chan," Ryuichi whispered into his ear, "Let it go. Come dance with me!"

Giving Shuichi no time to reject, Ryuichi pulled the younger man towards the dance floor. The pair moved and weaved their way through the crowd until Ryuichi found a dark corner. Ryuichi moved in closer to Shuichi and began kissing him softly. Shuichi tried to struggle out of Ryuichi's grasp but found himself tightly held.

"I'm not letting you go yet, Shuichi," Ryuichi said softly, breaking their kiss.

"But, Ryuichi, I mean, gods, what do you think you're doing?" Shuichi asked, out of breath and flustered.

"I'm kissing my favorite kohai!"

"I know that-wait, favorite? No, no, Ryuichi. What do you want from me?" Shuichi asked.

"I. Want. You. Plain and simple, right?" Ryuichi said with a glint in his eye.

"It's not that simple for me, Ryu! I'm in a mess with everyone right now. To have you drop this on top of it all …" Shuichi pushed Ryuichi away and tried to find the others.

"I'll back off. But know this. You're mine. You know that I'm more than capable to love you, more than Eiri, more than Aizawa. Don't hurt yourself, Shuichi. It breaks my heart," Ryuichi said, giving Shuichi one more kiss that made him shiver with desire.

Taki kept an ever-watchful eye on the two and was dismayed at what he saw. He tried to find reason within his mind as to why he wanted to punch Sakuma in the face. Taki's thoughts were interrupted when Ken sat very close to him.

"Let me know something, Taki, and I promise I won't harass you anymore. For tonight, anyway," Ken said, staring at Taki.

"Yeah? Really? Okay," Taki said, cradling his almost-empty bottle of champagne.

"Shuichi confessed that he wanted to be with me a couple of days ago."

"Well, that's good, right?" Ken asked, concern lilting his voice.

"Yes and no. I rejected him."

"What?!"

"I pretty much told him that I wasn't ready," Taki said, laughing at the irony of his situation.

"You've really lost it, Tachi. I don't know what to say except find yourself," Ken said, laying a hand on Taki's knee.

"Damnit, I'm-I'm trying so _hard_ to, Ken!"

Taki tried to fight the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him, but Ken kept opening the wound.

'_Fuck it. Let me purge this, Ken, let me try,_' Taki thought, his shoulders shaking.

-----

**A/N:** Ai yah! I tried to make a Christmas deadline. Didn't happen. Tried to make a New Year's deadline. Didn't happen. But it's only one day late! So yeah!

This chapter had more, uhm, feelings, I guess … than the other chapters. But hopefully this'll get me to move along and find a suitable partner for Shuichi. More trouble lies ahead!

Thanks for reading and please comment if you found it pleasing, distasteful, late, annoying, yak yak yak …


	12. Guidance

**Title: **Just One Step to You

**Series: **Gravitation

**Pairing: **Shuichi x Taki, smattering of Shuichi x Ma-kun

**Rating:** T

**Warning: **… Some Curse Words and Some Such Nonsense and Plenty O' Visual Shkrumpiyum …

**Disclaimer: **Don't own it T-T

**A/N: **This is my first sorry attempt at a Gravi fic, so please bear with me. Set three years after OAV. Oh, yes, there might be OOC on my part , but please, don't let that deter you from leaving reviews!

Recap: Shuichi finally made up his mind and confessed to Taki! But Taki refused?! Yes, he did! Ryuichi also made his intentions clear to a very confused Shuichi. Are there going to be more concerts with Ryuichi included in the future?

-----

"Guidance"

-----

"I insist we do one of the signings here," Yuki said in a no-nonsense tone.

"B-but, Yuki, we're not scheduled to stop here at all!" his manager said, her face turning red.

"If the author wants to stop _here_, then it's the manager's _job_ to stop _here_," Yuki said with a glint in his eye.

Rapidly adding, subtracting and dividing how much this little side excursion was going to incur, his manager sighed in defeat.

"Alright, Yuki, we'll --"

"We're already booked at the Peninsula Hotel. Here's your key, here's the address of our next host, let me know how it all turns out. See you and don't wait up for me," Yuki said in one breath, handing his manager her key.

His manager swooned as he carelessly tossed her an impish smile and slid his sunglasses over his eyes.

"Wow. Our boss is very sexy, but he's so cold!" one of Mine's assistants cried into her hankie.

"Well, whatever it takes to make our client happy," Mine sighed once again in defeat. "Yuki, where are you rushing to now? Is it … him?"

-----

"Tell me again how we ended up here?!" Ma-kun rattled on breathlessly, adjusting his goggles.

"Why is it that you're the one always asking these stupid and obvious questions?" Hiro grumbled within ear shot.

"What, Strawberry Pansy?! Say it again to this handsome face of mine!"

Ken could only sigh as Hiro and Ma-kun got into another petty quarrel. The air up here was rather refreshing, and it boosted his appetite tenfold. The crisp air had the same effect on Shuichi and both men often found each other behind a mountain of food, each fork respectively in the last piece of meat. Taki found both of them rather amusing as he sat back and enjoyed the antics.

Just a few miles away and up from Denver, Colorado, was where Bad Luck and ASK could be found at the moment. Feeling them burning out before reaching the third leg of their tour, K decided to call upon an old friend for a favor long overdue. One minute they were sleeping in their beds and the next day found them in a rustic cabin overlooking the snowy caps of Denver. They were bewildered, needless to say, and Michael became their unofficial alarm clock that morning.

"_You've worked hard. I've cancelled practice for today and tomorrow as your reward!" K said with a big grin, trying his best to extricate Michael from a half dazed Shuichi._

"_Are we supposed to kow-tow now? Where the hell are we?!" Ma-kun said, his eyes taking in the sterile-clean cabin._

"_On the peaks of the mountains, at my very special get-away cabin. We'll board the helicopters two days from now and we'll resume our practice for the next concert. Michael … Michael! Let go of Shuichi right now!"_

"_But Daaaaaaaad!" Michael whined, "I want to sleep with Shuichi!"_

_For the first time in their lives, they saw K lose a bit of his composure._

"_You are not, I repeat, NOT sleeping with any man except your daddy for the rest of your life!!" K managed to pry Michael from Shuichi, who shot up in bed and gasped for breath._

"_Ahaha, well, then, gentlemen, make use of the time you have here and the scenery is … speechless. I'll let you see for yourselves," K said, tugging Michael along._

Hours later they were following an easy trail that was marked with red spikes. They didn't question K or his staff when they were accurately outfitted in snowboarding gear. They've stopped inquiring about K's myriad connections. They had a first-class gold-medal instructor and within the next hour, each of them manned the board rather well. What was really surprising was how easy Ma-kun adapted to it.

"Man, this is too awesome!" Suguru said excitedly, snapping pictures of the terrain.

"There he goes again. He's such a nerd. I don't see how he fits into the image of Bad Luck at all sometimes," Ma-kun said, coming to a sharp stop.

Suguru put his camera down momentarily and hefted a rather large snowball in his hands. Ken could only sigh as he saw the other keyboardist stuff it with small rocks. Without warning, Suguru threw the snowball at a very unsuspecting Ma-kun. Suguru immediately ducked behind Shuichi and held on tight to the Bad Luck vocalist. Ma-kun was temporarily stunned at the small arsenal of rocks that bounced off his head. As composed as Taki thought he was, he trembled with uncontrollable laughter. Ken had to turn away from Ma-kun's befuddled expression or incur the blond's wrath.

"Sh-Shuichi! I wouldn't expect you to … to stoop so low!" Ma-kun yelled, his vision filled with rage.

"W-what are you talking about?" Shuichi said, backing Suguru along with him, arms open.

"Well, stay there for me, will you?" Ma-kun seethed as he hastily made a snowball. He didn't even notice that he was still strapped to the snowboard.

Shuichi had the look of a deer caught in the headlights.

"I didn't do anything!" Shuichi said shrilly, his eyes almost as huge as Ma-kun's snowball.

"Yeah, you look innocent, but I know your type, Shuichi!" Ma-kun said and hurled the snowball not a second later.

With quick reflexes, Shuichi scrambled out of the way and knocked into Taki, who stood too close to the action. Suguru, not thinking that Shuichi would ever move, came full circle with Ma-kun's snowball. Thus ensued a different battle of the bands in Denver, Colorado. They were so engrossed in their snowball fight they didn't even blink at the thought of their missing vocalists. Shuichi cursed Ma-kun as he and Taki tumbled a few feet down from the group.

Shuichi let out an 'oomph' as he felt Taki's weight pin him down. Taki was splayed face down on top of Shuichi. His knit Under Armor hat rested in a lopsided manner; so unlike the image Taki wished to project at all times. Shuichi couldn't help himself. As much as it hurt him at the moment to breath, the fire in his lungs was worth it. Taki began to stir at the sound of Shuichi's laughter.

"Shut up," Taki said, his voice muffled by Shuichi's faux-fur lined hood.

"I-I'm sorry," Shuichi wheezed, "fix your hat and I promise I'll try to stop."

Taki lifted his head from the crook of Shuichi's neck and eyed him suspiciously. His cheeks were flushed a cherry red. Taki's dark eyelashes were dusted with the smallest helping of snowflakes and his lips were parted in the slightest manner. Shuichi's chuckle slowly subsided as he stared at Taki, riveted by such a rare sight.

"W-what is it? Why are you staring at me like that?" Taki asked in alarm.

What came next shocked both of them. The moment lent itself to Shuichi and he took every opportunity to exploit it. Shuichi closed the small distance between them and very gently kissed Taki. Taki pulled away after a few seconds. His eyes revealed a multitude of emotions. Shuichi, embarrassed at his actions, lowered his head to the cold cradle of the earth. He let his head loll to right and closed his eyes.

'_How uncomfortable. I kissed him and he didn't respond. To top it off, hah, he's still on top of me. Kill me now,'_ Shuichi thought, cringing inside.

Taki felt the heat of Shuichi's body through his layers of knit and Gore-Tex. Everything around him felt surreal and dream-like. He took a second look at Shuichi's profile, his lips pink and swollen. Taki reassured himself that he could handle the situation. He wouldn't act on impulse; he wouldn't try and devour Shuichi like a sweet morsel. As he stared at Shuichi unabashedly, Taki could feel himself being pulled towards the younger man.

His lips hovered millimeters above Shuichi's strong jaw line. Taki hesitated. He closed his eyes and timidly placed a light kiss on Shuichi's cheek. Shuichi held his breath. Taki didn't stop with just one. He moved at an unhurried pace along Shuichi's jaw line, staying clear of the one spot he didn't want to get sucked into. Perhaps it was Taki's imagination, but he felt the heat intensify between them. Shuichi drew a breath and moved his head. Taki stopped his soft barrage of kisses as Shuichi's lips met his. Maroon and amethyst eyes clashed; one in shock and the other in need.

"Hey, what happened to Shuichi and Taki?" Hiro's voice carried over to them.

The two missing vocalists pulled apart and positioned themselves in their "just tumbled" pose. As cold it as it was outside, both men were sweating underneath their gear. Taki rested his head in the crook of Shuichi's neck and breathed in deeply.

'_Baby steps. It starts with little steps,'_ Taki thought.

"Are you okay?" Shuichi asked softly.

"I think … so," Taki replied in the same manner. "Yeah."

They laid there for a couple of more minutes before their band mates brought the noise with them.

"There they are!"

"Oh god, it's your fault they died, Ma-kun!" Suguru yelled.

"They fell roughly about ten meters from where we were," Hiro said with a sigh. "I don't think they could die from a fall like that."

Ken walked to the two men and kneeled beside Taki. He gently shook Taki awake and was relieved to see him respond. Ken stood as Taki slowly rolled himself off of Shuichi, who added a cough for good measure. Suguru beat Hiro to Shuichi and propped him up none too lovingly. With a cry, Suguru engulfed Shuichi in a hug. Hiro could only smile and shake his head.

"Geeze, you'll really kill me if you don't let go," Shuichi said, coughing a bit more.

"Alright, enough fun for today. Let's head back to the cabin now," Ken said, helping Taki to his feet.

Everyone made the trek back in good time. Fluffy bathrobes and towels were placed on each bed. After asking a staff member for directions, the men grabbed their provisions and jetted towards the baths. Surprisingly, it was fashioned after a Japanese bath house. They shed their clothes at lightening speed and stuffed it into the small cubbies provided. They grabbed small buckets that held the necessary cleaning items and proceeded to the first room. Everyone paired off and left Shuichi and Taki alone. Both vocalists frowned in dismay. They weren't even asked by their respective band mates if they wanted to join.

As content sighs wafted in the air, Shuichi and Taki looked at each other and shrugged. After all, it wasn't as if they haven't seen the other naked before. They're men. They're comrades. They can do the simple act of scrubbing one another's back. Right?

They found a spot away from the other members and sat down on the wooden stools. Taki brought his over to where Shuichi was.

"I'll scrub your back first," Taki said.

"Sure," Shuichi said, trying his best to keep the tremors out of his voice.

Shuichi tensed as he felt the warm water running down his back. Taki was glad Shuichi couldn't see him because he found himself smirking.

"Tense much?" Taki drawled.

"Somewhat," Shuichi replied, mentally adding that the main cause of it was of _him_.

Shuichi gasped a bit as Taki began to gently knead his lower back. His eyes fluttered shut as he felt the negative energy melt. Taki moved upwards, continuing his slow pace. Shuichi sighed and felt his head dip a bit as Taki worked on his shoulder blades. Shuichi felt a pressure on both sides of his waist. He gingerly opened his eyes and saw Taki's creamy knees gently holding him. He could feel Taki's soft breaths on his skin.

"Hey, that looks pretty good. Give me a massage, Ken!" Ma-kun said, spotting the two.

"No," was Ken's simple reply.

Their moment was spoiled. Taki sighed inwardly and retrieved the sponge and soap from the bucket. The act in itself actually calmed and soothed Taki.

"Do me, too, Hiro," Suguru said, envious of Shuichi's content look.

"Sure, then you can do me," Hiro said with a thumb's up.

"Ah, damn, okay," Suguru said.

"See, Ken, why can't you do it?" Ma-kun asked.

"Because there's no way in hell you'd ever return the favor," Ken said nonchalantly, scrubbing Ma-kun's back harder than necessary.

"Yeoooow," Ma-kun said, "never mind! You might break a bone!"

"Hnn," Ken said, letting up slightly.

"Your friends are entertaining," Shuichi said with a chuckle.

"Mmm, they certainly are. I owe them a lot," Taki said, scrubbing Shuichi's back.

Taki tapped Shuichi's shoulder all too soon. Shuichi got up and traded places with Taki. Shuichi wanted to give him a massage in return. Shuichi scooted his stool closer to Taki, his knees grazing Taki's waist. Something akin to a moan filtered through Taki's lips. It wasn't Shuichi's style to be abnormally aggressive, but he felt the air around them egging him on. He stared at Taki's scar before touching his back.

"Is it … okay … will it hurt?" Shuichi asked in a low voice.

"That scar has a mind of its own. It'll hurt some days and be fine on other days. It's okay for now," Taki said absently.

"Okay. I'll be gently then," Shuichi said.

The anticipation had Taki on edge. Shuichi hadn't touched him yet, but he found himself yearning for it. He inched back ever so slightly. A few seconds later Taki sighed in content. Shuichi began to gently massage his lower back, spreading his fingers outward and bringing them in slowly. The scar felt rough in some places and then smooth in others. Shuichi felt a bit overwhelmed that Taki would let him touch him in such a manner. He took great care in touching Taki and Shuichi let him feel his appreciation at being trusted. Taki mumbled something incoherent that made Shuichi laugh.

"That good, huh?"

"Don't tease me," Taki said drowsily.

"Are we having fun, gentlemen?" a voice whispered in Shuichi's ear.

The sudden intrusion startled Shuichi and made him grasp Taki's side. Taki was wide awake and yelled in protest. Michael popped up behind his dad, a toothy grin beaming widely at Shuichi. They were a little put off that K should appear so suddenly. It was his house they were at but still, K never got tired of shocking his beloved stars.

"I'll scrub your back, Shuichi!" Michael said in enthusiasm.

Although he just had his back scrubbed some fifteen minutes ago, Shuichi couldn't say no to the walking dimpled sunshine known as Michael Winchester. Shuichi smiled at Michael regardless and nodded his consent. Michael whooped for joy and jumped on Shuichi, towel and all. Taki could only stand in the background and watch his manager's kid slobber all over Shuichi.

'_What the hell? Am I getting jealous over an eight-year old?'_ Taki thought, almost choking on the thought.

Shuichi and Michael sat down on the stools and Michael proceeded to reach for the nape of Shuichi's neck. Shuichi sighed as he felt Michael try to scrub all around his neck. He turned around in time to see Michael on his tiptoes on top of the stool. A look of utter concentration graced the boy's face. A smile found its way to Shuichi's face naturally as he watched Michael. The stool wobbled a bit before it gave in to Michael's weight. A look of surprise was etched on his face as he went down. Shuichi grabbed for Michael as the stool slid on its side a few feet away. Michael looked up at Shuichi and began to cry.

"Hey, now. You're okay, no need to cry," Shuichi said softly, cradling the boy in his lap.

"Michael! Michael, my baby!" K said, his voice filled with worry.

Taki watched Shuichi and Michael and felt something tug at his heart. They both looked vulnerable at that moment. Michael held on tight to Shuichi and his sobs subsided. Shuichi gently petted his hair, not paying attention to the fretting dad.

"There. See? All better now," Shuichi said.

Michael blushed and nodded vigorously. He let go of Shuichi and shot his dad a look of annoyance. K clutched at his heart and swooned dramatically.

"Why, Michael, why? Was I not there for you all these years?" K asked.

"Actually, Ark was," Michael said innocently enough.

"Gah!" K said, sighing.

Shuichi laughed and looked down at Michael.

"Now it's my turn, so come sit with me," Shuichi said, nodding toward their stools.

Michael's face lit up and he carefully sat down on Shuichi's stool. With the crisis averted, the men went back to their scrubbing. Taki sat down on a stool, watching Shuichi again. He didn't know why his gaze found its way so easily to the younger vocalist. There was a comfort that Taki hadn't felt in quite while. Maybe that aspect of Shuichi drew him time and time again to him. His thoughts were disrupted by Michael's infectious laughter.

"Time to soak, boys," Suguru said.

"Men. I'll respond to men or man. Because I'm a man," Ma-kun said disdainfully.

"Well, then, _man_, take care of my towel while I soak!" Suguru said, removing the towel from around his waist and flinging it in Ma-kun's face.

"That's disgusting!" Ma-kun yelled after Suguru, snatching the towel from his head.

The rest of the crew followed suit minus the throwing their towel thing at Ma-kun. They eased themselves into the gigantic hot tub and literally melted. Michael and K joined everyone last. With a bit of struggling, Michael fled from his dad's iron grip and doggy paddled towards Shuichi. K only sighed as he watched yet another male draw to the flame that was Shuichi. He had to admit, K did a fine job of drilling Shuichi into a fine man. But it was his precious son, Michael, that he was worried about.

"Shuichi," Michael began shyly, "can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Michael, what's up?"

"I just wanna know … how to be a star like you. I mean, you get lots of money doing what you like, you have all the girls googly eying you, and guys, too, and you get to travel all over the place and you get free food. I want to get close to you so I can learn your secret. But Daddy always ruin my plans to be with you. I mean, I want to study underneath you. You know, a little brother!" Michael finished, his cherub face flushed from the steam.

"Uh, wow, thanks, I think," Shuichi said, hanging his head.

'_This kid is only eight yet he's _using _me as a stepping stone of convenient guidance to his own stardom? K's kid indeed!'_

Taki thought Michael's adoration and obsession with Bad Luck's vocalist was a bit strange, but with Michael's confession, it all made sense. Taki didn't know why he felt so relieved to hear something like that. Taki mentally kicked himself. He's really losing his mind at this rate. Would he be okay for the rest of the tour? Will another month with Shuichi drive him crazy?

"You're outta luck, kid, if you want to learn the seducing part. Shuichi ain't got nothing on me when it comes to the ladies," Ma-kun said, flashing Michael a slick smile.

"No, I think I made the right choice," Michael stated confidently. "I want to be adored by female _and_ male fans. The more they love me, the more money I end up making!"

"But you already have money, Michael," Suguru said.

"No, that's my Daddy and Mommy's money. I don't want to live off them forever. They're old!" Michael said, making a face.

Everyone erupted at Michael's newest statement, finding him all too entertaining. K cleared his throat and laughed meekly.

"Ha, my darling wife and I have always taught Michael to be a man with his own resources. Never thought he'd reach that so soon in life," K said under his breath.

"I have nothing on you, eh?" Shuichi said, staring directly at Ma-kun.

"Yeah, you heard," Ma-kun retorted.

Shuichi cleared his throat and began to sing one of their newest tracks, which happened to be on the naughty side. Shuichi changed the words around a bit to match the setting and kept eye contact with Ma-kun. Ma-kun "hmphed" at the gesture and tried to look away from Shuichi's eyes, but his pride kept him staring. Shuichi smirked as he lowered his gaze on Ma-kun and licked his lips. Taki, for the life of him, couldn't tear his gaze away from Shuichi. K kept covering Michael's ears as his son stared on in awe. Shuichi slowly made his way across the hot tub to Ma-kun and stopped just a few inches from his face. He leaned in and sang softly in Ma-kun's ears, inserting the right amount of moans and sighs into the lyrics. Ma-kun blushed at the brash words and felt his heart speed up. He couldn't help but think of the subliminal messages in the words and against his will, closed his eyes and moaned when Shuichi's lips brushed his earlobe.

"Yep, I think I got you," Shuichi said out loud a moment later, sitting back from Ma-kun.

Ma-kun's eyes opened and looked around at everyone. Simultaneous nods were given and he scowled. Ma-kun hated to lose, especially when it came to the matter of seducing. After all, he was the entire group's official playboy. But then he remembered Shuichi in black and red, at a bar they were all at, and the incredible amount of _sex_ he oozed. Ma-kun sighed his defeat.

"Yeah, yeah, okay, you win, you win," Ma-kun said.

"It wasn't about winning, but putting yourself out there and on the line for your fans. You want to open yourself up raw and have them see your emotions. These people _pay_ us to do what we _love_. I find it incredibly unbelievable, and so I give my all one hundred and fifty percent in performances, when I write lyrics or compose music, when I'm doing interviews and photo shoots. Truthfully, I give myself away everyday to the thousands of people around the world. I feel that it's the least I can do to repay their kindness," Shuichi said softly and meeting Ma-kun's gaze.

No one said anything for a few minutes. No one moved.

"Wow," Michael said. "Wow! That's what I wanna do! Exactly that! I knew Shuichi had what I want!"

"Well put, Shuichi," Hiro said, grabbing at Shuichi and pulling him back in an embrace.

"Aw, quit, you're embarrassing me!" Shuichi said, trying to struggle out of Hiro's grasp.

"No way! I haven't been with you in a while like this," Hiro pouted and hugged Shuichi tighter.

Laughter broke the silence all around and the men felt more at ease than ever before. Taki leaned back in the hot tub. Shuichi's words rang over and over in his head. Another facet of Shuichi that he found out about. Hardworking and more than dedicated to his fans.

'_From now on, Shuichi isn't a mere obstacle. He's a threat. I figured at first his meek looks counted for a meek personality. Funny how I'm eating my words right now,'_ Taki thought.

He sighed. Taki's been thinking a lot more than usual. Not that it was a bad thing. It signaled a change in Taki that he's been scared of for a long time. Now this solidly cemented his fear. He had to change, or break down in pieces before the summer came to a close.

-----

**A/N:** Wow. I am so so so sorry for the delay. My life has been turned upside down for the past five months and will continue doing so. Now that the semester has ended and my commitments to the fashion show is done with, I have a bit of free time to continue this story.

For those who've waited, I apologize a million times.

So what's Yuki's involvement this time around? Michael and the reason for his clinginess to Shuichi is revealed. Will it stop now that he's confessed or will it get to epic proportions? And Ma-kun. Poor Ma-kun. If you can't tell by now, I love to harass Ma-kun. Thanks much for your comments! Til next time, see ya!


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